#ZimbabweanLivesMatter vs #ThisFlag: A comparative discourse analysis of two social media movements in Zimbabwe

dc.contributor.advisorChuma, Wallace
dc.contributor.authorHundermark, Charné Lee
dc.date.accessioned2023-03-07T12:19:47Z
dc.date.available2023-03-07T12:19:47Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.date.updated2023-02-20T12:56:53Z
dc.description.abstractZimbabwe's socio-political environment is characterized by political instability, rampant corruption and a general constitutional decay, in which oppressed citizens are restricted in their efforts to make their dissatisfaction heard (Sabao & Chikara, 2020). Under Robert Gabriel Mugabe's rule, citizen protest was often met with physical violence and intimidation tactics by the ruling party, a trend which has only continued under President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa's administration. Thus, a hesitancy to publicly protest has developed and continued, one that has only been exacerbated by the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the emergence of information and communications technology and the popularity of virtual networks such as Twitter, new forms of protest have emerged, forms centralised on interactive discourse. This study seeks to unpack this research problem by investigating two social media movements prolific under each administration, namely, #ThisFlag under the Mugabe administration and #ZimbabweanLivesMatter under the Mnangagwa administration. By presenting a comparative discourse analysis of the two campaigns, this study investigates the differences and similarities associated with campaign discourse, exploring the degree of continuity present across the two movements. Rather than examine the role social media played in each respective campaign, analysis of discourse provides an in-road to the key opinions, debates and concerns characteristic of the movements themselves. Notwithstanding this comparison, this study justifies that the success of digital activism is that it transcends geo-political borders and institutional constraints enforced by government, particularly as such constraints have continued despite the change in national leadership.
dc.identifier.apacitationHundermark, C. L. (2022). <i>#ZimbabweanLivesMatter vs #ThisFlag: A comparative discourse analysis of two social media movements in Zimbabwe</i>. (). ,Faculty of Humanities ,Centre for Film and Media Studies. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37330en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationHundermark, Charné Lee. <i>"#ZimbabweanLivesMatter vs #ThisFlag: A comparative discourse analysis of two social media movements in Zimbabwe."</i> ., ,Faculty of Humanities ,Centre for Film and Media Studies, 2022. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37330en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationHundermark, C.L. 2022. #ZimbabweanLivesMatter vs #ThisFlag: A comparative discourse analysis of two social media movements in Zimbabwe. . ,Faculty of Humanities ,Centre for Film and Media Studies. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37330en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Master Thesis AU - Hundermark, Charné Lee AB - Zimbabwe's socio-political environment is characterized by political instability, rampant corruption and a general constitutional decay, in which oppressed citizens are restricted in their efforts to make their dissatisfaction heard (Sabao &amp; Chikara, 2020). Under Robert Gabriel Mugabe's rule, citizen protest was often met with physical violence and intimidation tactics by the ruling party, a trend which has only continued under President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa's administration. Thus, a hesitancy to publicly protest has developed and continued, one that has only been exacerbated by the global COVID-19 pandemic. However, with the emergence of information and communications technology and the popularity of virtual networks such as Twitter, new forms of protest have emerged, forms centralised on interactive discourse. This study seeks to unpack this research problem by investigating two social media movements prolific under each administration, namely, #ThisFlag under the Mugabe administration and #ZimbabweanLivesMatter under the Mnangagwa administration. By presenting a comparative discourse analysis of the two campaigns, this study investigates the differences and similarities associated with campaign discourse, exploring the degree of continuity present across the two movements. Rather than examine the role social media played in each respective campaign, analysis of discourse provides an in-road to the key opinions, debates and concerns characteristic of the movements themselves. Notwithstanding this comparison, this study justifies that the success of digital activism is that it transcends geo-political borders and institutional constraints enforced by government, particularly as such constraints have continued despite the change in national leadership. DA - 2022_ DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town KW - Film And Media Studies LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PY - 2022 T1 - #ZimbabweanLivesMatter vs #ThisFlag: A comparative discourse analysis of two social media movements in Zimbabwe TI - #ZimbabweanLivesMatter vs #ThisFlag: A comparative discourse analysis of two social media movements in Zimbabwe UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37330 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/37330
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationHundermark CL. #ZimbabweanLivesMatter vs #ThisFlag: A comparative discourse analysis of two social media movements in Zimbabwe. []. ,Faculty of Humanities ,Centre for Film and Media Studies, 2022 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/37330en_ZA
dc.language.rfc3066eng
dc.publisher.departmentCentre for Film and Media Studies
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Humanities
dc.subjectFilm And Media Studies
dc.title#ZimbabweanLivesMatter vs #ThisFlag: A comparative discourse analysis of two social media movements in Zimbabwe
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationlevelMA
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