The Construction of the 'Refugee Crisis'

Hitz, Sarah Bekaan Allermann

4. term

Culture, Communication and Globalization, Master

2016

2016-05-26

82

This thesis examines how the label of a “refugee crisis” was constructed in Danish public debate in autumn 2015, and how that framing contributed to portraying refugees as a threat. Drawing on framing and securitization theory, and the concepts of moral panic, neo-nationalism, and neoliberalism, it applies a qualitative content analysis to 28 editorials and feature/opinion articles published between September 1 and November 1, 2015. The analysis identifies two main themes: “Islam and the European allies” and “The welfare threat.” Within the material, refugees are positioned as part of a “Muslim category,” embedded in a narrative of civilizational clash and a supposed Islamization of Europe. At the same time, welfare is leveraged as a rhetorical instrument to mobilize a protective “us,” particularly appealing to a working-class segment concerned about the (neoliberal) consequences of globalization. These dynamics are described as a moral panic underpinned by neo-nationalist and neoliberal logics, fostering support for extraordinary measures in foreign and asylum policy; the Asylum Package is highlighted as a concrete political outcome of this process. The study thus shows how crisis rhetoric and securitization shape public perceptions and expand the range of politically acceptable actions.

Dette speciale undersøger, hvordan betegnelsen “flygtningekrisen” blev konstrueret i den danske offentlige debat i efteråret 2015, og hvordan denne indramning bidrog til at fremstille flygtninge som en trussel. Med afsæt i framing- og sikkerhedsliggørelsesteori samt begreberne moralsk panik, neo-nationalisme og neoliberalisme gennemføres en kvalitativ indholdsanalyse af 28 ledere og debat- eller featureartikler publiceret mellem 1. september og 1. november 2015. Analysen identificerer to hovedtemaer: “Islam og de europæiske allierede” og “Velfærdstruslen”. I materialet konstrueres flygtninge som del af en “muslimsk kategori”, indlejret i en fortælling om et civilisationssammenstød og en påstået islamisering af Europa. Samtidig bruges velfærd som argumentatorisk instrument til at mobilisere et “os”, særligt med appel til et arbejdersegment præget af bekymringer over globaliseringens (neoliberale) konsekvenser. Disse processer beskrives som en moralsk panik, underbygget af neo-nationalistiske og neoliberale logikker, der skaber opbakning til ekstraordinære politiske tiltag i udlændinge- og asylpolitikken; konkret fremhæves Asylpakken som et politisk resultat af denne dynamik. Studiet peger dermed på, hvordan kriseretorik og sikkerhedsliggørelse former offentlighedens opfattelser og udvider det politisk acceptable handlingsrum.

[This apstract has been generated with the help of AI directly from the project full text]

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Hitz, Sarah Bekaan Allermann:

• The Construction of the 'Refugee Crisis' Securitization and Moral Panics: A qualitative study on the constructed threats and underlying ideologies (2016)