Voices for the Forsaken : a Study of Bangladeshi Hip-Hop Subculture, Identity and Civic Engagement
(2024) MKVM13 20241Media and Communication Studies
Department of Communication and Media
- Abstract
- The Bangladeshi Gen Zs and university students demonstrated a revolutionary example of civic engagement, participatory culture, subcultural identity formation, and reformation during the Student Quota Reform Movement in July, leading to the July massacre where thousands of protesting students were tortured and shot to death in public. The movement happened as an enraged response against the announcement of allocating a 30% quota in the government job recruitment system for the descendants of the freedom-fighters of 1971. As hundreds of cases based on fake freedom-fighter profiles had been registered and broadcasted by the media nationally, the citizens, particularly the prospect young job seekers, university students and Gen Zs rushed to... (More)
- The Bangladeshi Gen Zs and university students demonstrated a revolutionary example of civic engagement, participatory culture, subcultural identity formation, and reformation during the Student Quota Reform Movement in July, leading to the July massacre where thousands of protesting students were tortured and shot to death in public. The movement happened as an enraged response against the announcement of allocating a 30% quota in the government job recruitment system for the descendants of the freedom-fighters of 1971. As hundreds of cases based on fake freedom-fighter profiles had been registered and broadcasted by the media nationally, the citizens, particularly the prospect young job seekers, university students and Gen Zs rushed to the streets to protest after living in discontent for more than a decade under the Hasina Regime. The mass shooting at the protesting youth added another public demand- Sheikh Hasina must resign as the Prime Minister.
The Bangladeshi protesting youth succeeded in their protest on 5th August. This research is a case study based on this event to observe topics like civic engagement, participatory culture, identity formation and reformation, and finally youth subculture. The topic of youth subculture has been further narrowed down to rap and hip-hop subculture to bring precision to this research. As empirical materials, 400 audience comments on the YouTube channels of Shezan, Hannan and 24 er Guerilla under the thumbnails of their published rebel rap songs were selected and coded for the textual analysis. The posters used for these three songs went through semiotic analysis to formulate a more in-depth understanding of their war arts, the purpose of those arts, and the overall influence on the movement. The research also studies how they reestablish their subcultural identities with more public acceptance during this movement. Finally, the lyrics of these songs were also incorporated as empirical materials to run a content analysis to have an elaborated understanding of their involvement in this movement as the motivators, whistleblowers, and Bangladeshis who felt alienated in their land but kept performing as the watchdogs for Bangladesh’s well-being. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9178444
- author
- Annan, Farjana Ahmed LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- MKVM13 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Civic engagement, youth subculture, identity, media engagement, youth activism, Gen Zs, rap and hip-hop subculture, youth political engagement, July massacre, Bangladesh Student Quota Reform Movement, youth culture
- language
- English
- id
- 9178444
- date added to LUP
- 2025-04-03 15:38:28
- date last changed
- 2025-04-03 15:38:28
@misc{9178444,
abstract = {{The Bangladeshi Gen Zs and university students demonstrated a revolutionary example of civic engagement, participatory culture, subcultural identity formation, and reformation during the Student Quota Reform Movement in July, leading to the July massacre where thousands of protesting students were tortured and shot to death in public. The movement happened as an enraged response against the announcement of allocating a 30% quota in the government job recruitment system for the descendants of the freedom-fighters of 1971. As hundreds of cases based on fake freedom-fighter profiles had been registered and broadcasted by the media nationally, the citizens, particularly the prospect young job seekers, university students and Gen Zs rushed to the streets to protest after living in discontent for more than a decade under the Hasina Regime. The mass shooting at the protesting youth added another public demand- Sheikh Hasina must resign as the Prime Minister.
The Bangladeshi protesting youth succeeded in their protest on 5th August. This research is a case study based on this event to observe topics like civic engagement, participatory culture, identity formation and reformation, and finally youth subculture. The topic of youth subculture has been further narrowed down to rap and hip-hop subculture to bring precision to this research. As empirical materials, 400 audience comments on the YouTube channels of Shezan, Hannan and 24 er Guerilla under the thumbnails of their published rebel rap songs were selected and coded for the textual analysis. The posters used for these three songs went through semiotic analysis to formulate a more in-depth understanding of their war arts, the purpose of those arts, and the overall influence on the movement. The research also studies how they reestablish their subcultural identities with more public acceptance during this movement. Finally, the lyrics of these songs were also incorporated as empirical materials to run a content analysis to have an elaborated understanding of their involvement in this movement as the motivators, whistleblowers, and Bangladeshis who felt alienated in their land but kept performing as the watchdogs for Bangladesh’s well-being.}},
author = {{Annan, Farjana Ahmed}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Voices for the Forsaken : a Study of Bangladeshi Hip-Hop Subculture, Identity and Civic Engagement}},
year = {{2024}},
}