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The Portuguese Dream: A Promotion-Oriented Discourse on TikTok of Post COVID-19 Lifestyle Migrants in Portugal

De Souza, Natalie Marie LU (2024) EUHR18 20241
European Studies
Abstract
This thesis explores the discursive depiction of life in Portugual from the perspective of lifestyle migrants and digital nomads on TikTok. The aim of this thesis is to uncover the motivations of foreigners to live in Portugal, lifestyle migrants’ integration into Portuguese society, and their acknowledgement of the growing gentrification issues in Portugal. The method used in this study is Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis and has been adapted to allow for analysation of social media videos and their comment sections. The research is supported with theories of nation branding and country image, concepts of social media, virtual communities, language and migration, and gentrification. The material... (More)
This thesis explores the discursive depiction of life in Portugual from the perspective of lifestyle migrants and digital nomads on TikTok. The aim of this thesis is to uncover the motivations of foreigners to live in Portugal, lifestyle migrants’ integration into Portuguese society, and their acknowledgement of the growing gentrification issues in Portugal. The method used in this study is Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis and has been adapted to allow for analysation of social media videos and their comment sections. The research is supported with theories of nation branding and country image, concepts of social media, virtual communities, language and migration, and gentrification. The material consists of 25 videos posted to TikTok by lifestyle migrants and digital nomads living in Portugal, and was selected with certain criteria in mind to ensure a degree of similarity amongst the content and its creators. The analysis of the TikTok videos include language, visuals, and interactions between viewers and content creators via comments left on the videos. The results of this thesis find that Portugal is portrayed as an attractive country for relocation for many lifestyle migrants due to qualities such as climate, affordability, and language, among others. Although a major selling point for migrants, the wide-spead use of English in Portugal in addition to large expat communities, also appeared to be a hindrance in their ability to integrate into Portuguese society. The analysis also revealed that a large portion of the videos analysed addressed the topic of gentrification in Portugal, with several content creators shining a light on the privileges of digital nomads and existing issues of inequality in Portugal. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
De Souza, Natalie Marie LU
supervisor
organization
course
EUHR18 20241
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
keywords
Portugal, digital nomads, TikTok, social media, lifestyle migration, gentrification, European studies
language
English
id
9174513
date added to LUP
2024-09-16 09:40:11
date last changed
2024-09-16 09:40:11
@misc{9174513,
  abstract     = {{This thesis explores the discursive depiction of life in Portugual from the perspective of lifestyle migrants and digital nomads on TikTok. The aim of this thesis is to uncover the motivations of foreigners to live in Portugal, lifestyle migrants’ integration into Portuguese society, and their acknowledgement of the growing gentrification issues in Portugal. The method used in this study is Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model of Critical Discourse Analysis and has been adapted to allow for analysation of social media videos and their comment sections. The research is supported with theories of nation branding and country image, concepts of social media, virtual communities, language and migration, and gentrification. The material consists of 25 videos posted to TikTok by lifestyle migrants and digital nomads living in Portugal, and was selected with certain criteria in mind to ensure a degree of similarity amongst the content and its creators. The analysis of the TikTok videos include language, visuals, and interactions between viewers and content creators via comments left on the videos. The results of this thesis find that Portugal is portrayed as an attractive country for relocation for many lifestyle migrants due to qualities such as climate, affordability, and language, among others. Although a major selling point for migrants, the wide-spead use of English in Portugal in addition to large expat communities, also appeared to be a hindrance in their ability to integrate into Portuguese society. The analysis also revealed that a large portion of the videos analysed addressed the topic of gentrification in Portugal, with several content creators shining a light on the privileges of digital nomads and existing issues of inequality in Portugal.}},
  author       = {{De Souza, Natalie Marie}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Portuguese Dream: A Promotion-Oriented Discourse on TikTok of Post COVID-19 Lifestyle Migrants in Portugal}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}