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Framing Opposition as Terrorism: a Case Study of the Framing of the Houhthis and Southern Movement in Yemen

Nilsson Hedman, Sandra LU (2010) STVM01 20102
Department of Political Science
Abstract
This thesis takes off in framing theory and the theory of securitization to investigate the Yemeni government’s framing of its oppositional groups the Houthis and the Southern Movement. My purpose is three-folded: 1) to describe the conflicts between the Yemeni government and these two oppositional groups within their local and global context; 2) to illustrate how the Yemeni government is using the terrorism frame against the Houthis and the Southern Movement; and 3) to explore the reasons why the Yemeni government have chosen this frame. I argue that the Yemeni regime has used the terrorist frame against the Houthis and the Southern Movement. However, none of these groups strive to target civilians, and their unrest clearly stem from... (More)
This thesis takes off in framing theory and the theory of securitization to investigate the Yemeni government’s framing of its oppositional groups the Houthis and the Southern Movement. My purpose is three-folded: 1) to describe the conflicts between the Yemeni government and these two oppositional groups within their local and global context; 2) to illustrate how the Yemeni government is using the terrorism frame against the Houthis and the Southern Movement; and 3) to explore the reasons why the Yemeni government have chosen this frame. I argue that the Yemeni regime has used the terrorist frame against the Houthis and the Southern Movement. However, none of these groups strive to target civilians, and their unrest clearly stem from political, economic and/or religious marginalization. The acceptation of the government’s framing, i.e. the lack of international protests against this conflation of diverse oppositional groups with terrorism, has made this securitization move successful. The incentives for the Yemeni regime’s framing attempt are the diffuse definition of terrorism, vague constitutions, the context of the Global War on Terrorism undertaken in the country, the attaining of legitimacy for its violent responses against these groups, and the extraction of financial and military support from the functional actors pursuing the Global War on Terrorism. (Less)
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author
Nilsson Hedman, Sandra LU
supervisor
organization
course
STVM01 20102
year
type
H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
subject
keywords
Framing, Yemen, politicization, securitization, terrorism, opposition
language
English
id
1758678
date added to LUP
2011-02-09 15:56:39
date last changed
2011-02-09 16:27:03
@misc{1758678,
  abstract     = {{This thesis takes off in framing theory and the theory of securitization to investigate the Yemeni government’s framing of its oppositional groups the Houthis and the Southern Movement. My purpose is three-folded: 1) to describe the conflicts between the Yemeni government and these two oppositional groups within their local and global context; 2) to illustrate how the Yemeni government is using the terrorism frame against the Houthis and the Southern Movement; and 3) to explore the reasons why the Yemeni government have chosen this frame. I argue that the Yemeni regime has used the terrorist frame against the Houthis and the Southern Movement. However, none of these groups strive to target civilians, and their unrest clearly stem from political, economic and/or religious marginalization. The acceptation of the government’s framing, i.e. the lack of international protests against this conflation of diverse oppositional groups with terrorism, has made this securitization move successful. The incentives for the Yemeni regime’s framing attempt are the diffuse definition of terrorism, vague constitutions, the context of the Global War on Terrorism undertaken in the country, the attaining of legitimacy for its violent responses against these groups, and the extraction of financial and military support from the functional actors pursuing the Global War on Terrorism.}},
  author       = {{Nilsson Hedman, Sandra}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Framing Opposition as Terrorism: a Case Study of the Framing of the Houhthis and Southern Movement in Yemen}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}