A master thesis from Aalborg University
Constructing Conflict: An Investigation of Discoursive Battles over Power and Reality on 9GAG and Imgur: An Investigation of Discoursive Battle over Power and Reality in 9GAG and Imgur
Author(s)
Term
4. term
Publication year
2022
Submitted on
2022-05-31
Pages
222 pages
Abstract
Denne opgave kigger nærmere på, hvordan de online platforme 9GAG og Imgur brugte fænomenet 'Canada Convoy Protest' til at diskursivt strukturere de politiske termer 'venstre' og 'højre' ved brug af memes. Opgaven dykker ned i komplexiteterne, der hænger sammen med at genkende sandhed i en tid hvor sandhed bliver gjort krav på af forskellige aktører, og gennem forskellige konstruktioner af virkelighed. Opgaven overvejer, hvordan den diskursive strukturering på platformene i påvirker vores evne til at forestille os aktører fra ideologisk modstridende grupper som værende legitime participanter i den demokratiske process. Emner såsom post-truth, ny konspirations teori, 'ekko kamre' og 'filter bobler' samt memes bliver benytted for at udfolde dynamikken bag den diskursive strukturering af 'højre' og 'venstre' på platformene.
This paper takes a look at how the online platforms 9GAG and Imgur used the phenomenon the Canada Convoy Protest to discursively structure the political ‘left’ and the ‘right’ using memes. The paper delves into the complexities of discerning truth in a time where truth has become contested by a multitude of actors, and by different constructs of reality altogether. The paper considers how the discursive structuring occurring on the platforms in relation to how they impact on our ability to imagine ideologically opposed groups within the frame of democracy as being either legitimate or illegitimate actors. Topics such as post-truth, new conspiracism, echo chambers and filter bubbles, and memes are all employed to uncover the dynamics behind the structuring of the discourse surrounding of the ‘left’ and the ‘right’ on the platforms, as seeing the constructions of reality through these topics reflect the complexity of our times, as well as reflect the dizzying task it is for individuals to discern the true from the untrue. To deal with such complexities a multimodal discourse analysis has been developed to facilitate an analysis of the chosen data that encompasses the new modes of communication that take place on the platforms.
Keywords
Documents
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