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Gender as Subject of Aid : A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of Beneficiary Representations by the Swedish Red Cross on Instagram

This study aims to explore how the Swedish Red Cross’s work for gender equality in light of Agenda 2030 is reflected in representations of beneficiaries in Instagram communication. It also aims to understand how representations of beneficiaries are produced and reproduced concerning gender, stereotypes, and power relations. The research questions that are used to reach the aim are ‘How is Agenda 2030 focusing on gender present in the representations of beneficiaries in the Swedish Red Cross’s communication on Instagram?’, and ‘How do representations of beneficiaries contribute to stereotyping, feminization, and de-masculinization of the MajorityWorld?’. Based on a qualitative interpretative approach and multimodal critical discourse analysis, visual and textual content in posts from the national Instagram account of the Swedish Red Cross have been collected and analyzed through the theoretical framework of representation theory and postcolonial theory. The findings show that the most prominent beneficiary groups represented in terms of gender are women and children, which aligns with stereotypical and colonial narratives that infantilize and feminize the Majority World. This study further shows that the commitment to the global goals of gender equality and the Swedish national identity as a gender equality promoter is insufficient to deconstruct colonial discourses in INGO communication.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:mau-68568
Date January 2024
CreatorsVäpnare, Maja
PublisherMalmö universitet, Institutionen för konst, kultur och kommunikation (K3)
Source SetsDiVA Archive at Upsalla University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeStudent thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text
Formatapplication/pdf
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

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