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Securitizing the Alt-Right

Savvidou, Zoi LU (2020) SIMV07 20201
Department of Political Science
Education
Master of Science in Global Studies
Graduate School
Abstract
Within the last decade, the alt-right movement has migrated from secluded corners of the internet into mainstream media. This migration, and subsequently gained following, challenges traditional views on security by bringing forth social actors that securitize, despite a lack of authority. This takes place on online platforms, such as YouTube, where the political and non-political coexist.
This thesis aims to explore the securitization speech acts located within alt-right online discourse and their reinforcement of online alt-right activism. Combining securitization theory and Stritzel’s conceptualized speech acts, a large number of YouTube videos from the three most popular alt-right content creators are analyzed with a discourse... (More)
Within the last decade, the alt-right movement has migrated from secluded corners of the internet into mainstream media. This migration, and subsequently gained following, challenges traditional views on security by bringing forth social actors that securitize, despite a lack of authority. This takes place on online platforms, such as YouTube, where the political and non-political coexist.
This thesis aims to explore the securitization speech acts located within alt-right online discourse and their reinforcement of online alt-right activism. Combining securitization theory and Stritzel’s conceptualized speech acts, a large number of YouTube videos from the three most popular alt-right content creators are analyzed with a discourse historical approach to discourse analysis, in search of exclusionary narratives and tools that support securitizing moves.
The analysis shows that alt-right securitization speech acts form a security discourse targeting liberalism, globalization, and feminism. Furthermore, irony, othering, and performativity are identified as the main tools for enhancing the effectiveness of the securitization acts by establishing a connection between audience and content creator. This allows securitization to occur despite the lack of formal authority. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Savvidou, Zoi LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
A discourse analytical study on alt-right online activism and its securitization processes.
course
SIMV07 20201
year
type
H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
subject
language
English
id
9028111
alternative location
https://www.academia.edu/44008634/Securitizing_the_Alt_Right_A_discourse_analytical_study_on_alt_right_online_activism_and_its_securitization_processes
date added to LUP
2020-09-14 12:11:19
date last changed
2020-09-14 12:11:19
@misc{9028111,
  abstract     = {{Within the last decade, the alt-right movement has migrated from secluded corners of the internet into mainstream media. This migration, and subsequently gained following, challenges traditional views on security by bringing forth social actors that securitize, despite a lack of authority. This takes place on online platforms, such as YouTube, where the political and non-political coexist. 
This thesis aims to explore the securitization speech acts located within alt-right online discourse and their reinforcement of online alt-right activism. Combining securitization theory and Stritzel’s conceptualized speech acts, a large number of YouTube videos from the three most popular alt-right content creators are analyzed with a discourse historical approach to discourse analysis, in search of exclusionary narratives and tools that support securitizing moves.
The analysis shows that alt-right securitization speech acts form a security discourse targeting liberalism, globalization, and feminism. Furthermore, irony, othering, and performativity are identified as the main tools for enhancing the effectiveness of the securitization acts by establishing a connection between audience and content creator. This allows securitization to occur despite the lack of formal authority.}},
  author       = {{Savvidou, Zoi}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Securitizing the Alt-Right}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}