This thesis examines the media discourse surrounding Kibera, an urban informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya. Using a qualitative content analysis, this study identifies and critically analyses reoccurring themes in the descriptions of Kibera in the UK broadsheet paper The Guardian. The claimed relevance of such analysis rests upon the assumption that discourse matter; certain narratives can influence beliefs and policy concerning the management of urban informal settlements, with material effects for these places and their residents. The result of the analysis shows there are varying and conflicting themes in the portrayal of Kibera, describing the community in both negative and positive terms. However, the imageries move between two extremes, either describing Kibera as an urban dystopia of crime, suffering and filth, or emphasising stories of hope, success and the entrepreneurial spirit of Kibera’s residents. Missing in the articles are descriptions of Kibera in terms of being an ‘ordinary place’, where people live their everyday lives and make ends meet. Drawing on earlier research about connections between language and representation in the construction of marginalized places, this paper discusses the possible consequences of hyperbolic and sensationalistic discourse, arguing for a more nuanced portrayal of the Kibera community and its residents – depictions that won’t further marginalise Kibera and its people, nor romanticize life in this highly populated low-income community.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:su-176299 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | Backman Enelius, Moa |
| Publisher | Stockholms universitet, Socialantropologiska institutionen |
| 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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