This thesis is a critical analysis of the discourses used in online news headlines to reporttwo events that took place during 2018 Russian Presidential debates (on February 14,2018 and March 14, 2018) and focused on Ksenia Sobchak, the only female presidentialcandidate of the 2018 election. By analyzing 52 headlines published in Russia’s mostpopular and most read online news outlets, the purpose of this study is to investigatewhether there are any gender stereotypes used by the journalists to create a particularrepresentation of Sobchak, and to understand if, through this representation, a particularideology is put forward. The framework used to carry out the research is based onFairclough’s critical discourse analysis method combined with a sociolinguisticapproach influenced by Halliday. The application of this framework resulted in studyingthe three interrelated elements of discourse: sociocultural practices, which explore therole of women in the Russian political arena and put headlines under analysis into animmediate context; discourse practices, which focus on the peculiarities of online newsproduction, particularly headlines; and linguistic analysis of the headlines themselves,in which lexical choice, quotation patterns, and transitivity analyses were performed.The analysis revealed that headlines include hidden gender stereotypes, which alignwith Russia’s patriarchal ideology and which are used to represent Sobchak lessfavourably in comparison to her male opponents.

The dissertation tries to explain why most of the Bapedi people do not feel free to speak their language when they are among other communities. It explains why the speakers of the so-called ‘inferior’ dialects of the Limpopo Province have an inferiority complex while the speakers of the ‘superior’ dialects are confident when speaking their dialects. The standardisation of the Northern Sotho Language Board and the missionary activities within the Bapedi communities led to the creation of 'superior' and ‘inferior’ dialects. A detailed discussion is presented of the social rural and urban varieties, which found in Bapedi culture. Some of these varieties are kept secret and therefore are unknown to the public; and others, which are not secretive in nature. The use of language and the impact of language contact between languages is discussed. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)

The dissertation tries to explain why most of the Bapedi people do not feel free to speak their language when they are among other communities. It explains why the speakers of the so-called ‘inferior’ dialects of the Limpopo Province have an inferiority complex while the speakers of the ‘superior’ dialects are confident when speaking their dialects. The standardisation of the Northern Sotho Language Board and the missionary activities within the Bapedi communities led to the creation of 'superior' and ‘inferior’ dialects. A detailed discussion is presented of the social rural and urban varieties, which found in Bapedi culture. Some of these varieties are kept secret and therefore are unknown to the public; and others, which are not secretive in nature. The use of language and the impact of language contact between languages is discussed. / African Languages / M.A. (African Languages)