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Pride and Prejudice : the proliferation of nationalism and islamophobia in the context of the European refugee crisis : a discourse analysis of national online media in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the United States between September 2015 and March 2016

Herrchen, Neda Laura (2016) Pride and Prejudice : the proliferation of nationalism and islamophobia in the context of the European refugee crisis : a discourse analysis of national online media in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the United States between September 2015 and March 2016.

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Abstract:The current so-called refugee crisis in Europe is associated with an increase of anti-migrant sentiments, which are often manifested in islamophobic rhetoric and an anti-Muslim climate. Furthermore, a resurgence of nationalism is claimed in the context of the so-called ‘Brexit’. In light of these developments, the following research question is crucial: How can varieties of the islamophobic discourse in national online media be explained according to country-specific modes of nationhood and citizenship in the context of the refugee crisis since September 2015? The concept of islamophobia is frequently used in social sciences. Nonetheless, its definition is somewhat divisive depending on the prevailing national context and on the adopted perspective of the media evaluated. Thus this study focuses on identifying the prevalent national patterns of islamophobia for the selected countries Austria, Germany, Switzerland and the United States and links these results to country-specific modes of nationhood and citizenship. A discourse analysis of online articles by national newspapers is conducted to assess varieties of the islamophobic discourse as well as underlying meanings communicated by media since islamophobia is often concealed in distinct rhetoric means and formulations. The results of this study are of relevance as understanding the facets of and the factors behind islamophobic sentiments are crucial to avert growing political divergence and right-wing populism. The analysis shows that different socio- structural modes to nationhood and citizenship are stimulating different islamophobic patterns. Thus, the expected linkage between prevalent islamophobic varieties and modes of nationhood and citizenship is observed.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:02 science and culture in general, 88 social and public administration, 89 political science
Programme:Management Society and Technology BSc (56654)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/70423
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