This study examines the phenomena of cancel culture, and the cancellation of author J.K Rowling during June 2020. Cancel culture is a world spread phenomenon which is widely discussed and has been heavily criticized for limiting the freedom of speech as well as embraced for creating a way for marginalized groups to influence the public debate. The aim is to analyze the cancellation process of Rowling through articles and discourse, and answering the question; How is cancel culture expressed in articles regarding the case of J.K Rowling? The study’s theoretical framework is based on Michel Foucault’s theories on discourse, power and knowledge and is closely connected with the methodological approach, a Foucauldian discourse analysis. The analyzed units consist of a selection of nine articles regarding the specific case. The analysis resulted in three main themes; Actors and power relations, Presentation of norms, and Presentations of J.K Rowling, through which the cancellation process is analyzed. The conclusions can be summarized as follows: cancel culture takes its form in the articles by presenting Rowling mainly negatively, expressing why her standpoints are problematic, as well as challenging existing power structures. At the same time the results reveal that a cancellation is complex and can take form in different ways. Our contribution to the research field is to provide further understanding for the specific case. Hopefully our results, in combination with other studies, can contribute to deeper understanding of the phenomena of cancel culture.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:uu-479352 |
| Date | January 2022 |
| Creators | Lindmark, Hanna, Driving, Henrietta |
| Publisher | Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för informatik och media |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| 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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