Colonial legacies continue to impact representational practices in contemporary society. Social media platforms have provided a patriarchal marketplace in which female bodies become commodifiable products as ‘influencers’ and processes of racialisation and Othering are reproduced. A novel feature is the emergence of computer-generated imagery depicting feminized and racialised figures, or avatars, created by US and UK companies for profit. The objective of this thesis is to examine the problematics of the avatars in their construction, discursive practices and potential social and political impact by examining a range of material spanning from articles to social media images. To this end, a critical discourse analysis is conducted with a theoretical framework comprising feminist postcolonial theory and intersectionality. Building on feminist works on colonial legacy, conceptions of the Other, and Donna Haraway’s cyborg idea, measures of objectification and exotification are investigated. Exemplified by two leading avatars, the thesis explores their potential implications for power dynamics in society. The analysis found that while claiming to enhance representation and diversity the avatars effectively work against these goals. Considering histories of colonialism and the avatars’ profitability for patriarchal and capitalist agendas, they overtly and subtly reinforce systemic inequalities and materialise processes of Othering and racialisation embedded in social discourse. Expanding on existing disparities the avatars produce a novel marketable feature for corporations through social media that influences and shapes social perceptions spanning from fashionable ideals to, ultimately, political beliefs.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:su-208201 |
| Date | January 2020 |
| Creators | Sigurðardóttir, Sara Margrét |
| Publisher | Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för etnologi, religionshistoria och genusvetenskap |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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