“Without internet, we have no existence” : Rohingya refugee representation on social media
department or school: Arts and Social Sciences, Irving K. Barber Faculty of (Okanagan)
department or school: Economics, Philosophy and Political Science, Department of (Okanagan)
data provider: DSpace
degree campus: UBCO
creator: Sonia, Shorif
issued: 2023-03-07T22:46:02Z
issued: 2023
related degree: Master of Arts - MA
degree grantor: University of British Columbia
description: In the media, migrants, and refugee literature, representation of the refugees is one of the most recurring and contested issues. From the news media to digital or social media platforms to humanitarian communications, a dualism of refugee representation is evident: ‘threats’ vs. ‘victims.’ The humanitarian agencies have been widely criticized for the dehumanized representation of refugees as ‘weak,’ ‘victims,’, and ‘in need of charity for fundraising. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, almost 65 million forcibly displaced populations rarely have access to connectivity to raise their opinions. This research investigates the problem of representation about access to connectivity and the internet for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. I ask, how are Rohingya refugees represented on social media? This thesis argues that the humanitarian agencies and the refugees are creating a convergent portrayal of refugee ‘agency’ shifting from the traditional victim vs. threats representation. The thesis further strengthens the understanding of refugee self-representation, considering technological mediation. Analysis of 32 weeks of social media data of 4 humanitarian agencies and 10 Rohingya refugees and their interviews explore beyond the traditional ‘threats’ vs. ‘victims’ refugee representation. Through the qualitative data analysis, this research sheds light on how such a negative narrative has changed and leading humanitarian agencies working in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, for the Rohingya refugee response are creating an assertive representation of the refugees by showing them as ‘resilient,’ ‘active,’ ‘self-reliant’ and ‘peaceful’; reflecting how the Rohingya refugees represent themselves. As a policy recommendation, I highlight the importance of connectivity and the internet for refugees to express themselves.
aggregated CHO: https://circle.library.ubc.ca/rest/handle/2429/83897
note: “Without Internet, We Have No Existence”: Rohingya Refugee Representation on Social Media by Shorif Sonia B.A., Asian University for Women, 2017 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE COLLEGE OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Interdisciplinary Studies) (Global Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Okanagan) February, 2023 © Shorif Sonia, 2023 ii The following individuals certify that they have read and recommend to the College of Graduate Studies for acceptance, a thesis/dissertation entitled: “Without Internet, We Have No Existence”: Rohingya Refugee Representation on Social Media submitted by Shorif Sonia in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of MASTER OF ARTS in Interdisciplinary Studies. Dr. Helen Yanacopulos, Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economics, Philosophy and Political Science Supervisor Dr. Adam Jones, Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economics, Philosophy and Political Science Supervisory Committee Member Dr. James Rochlin, Irving K. Barber School of Arts and Sciences, Department of Economics, Philosophy and Political Science Supervisory Committee Member Dr. Kyong Yoon, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies Supervisory Committee Member Dr. David Jefferess, Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies University Examiner iii Abstract In the media, migrants, and refugee literature, representation of the refugees is one of the most recurring and contested issues. From the news media to digital or social media platforms to humanitarian communications, a dualism of refugee representation is evident: ‘threats’ vs. ‘victims.’ The humanitarian agencies have been widely criticized for the dehumanized representation of refugees as ‘weak,’ ‘victims,’, and ‘in need of charity for fundraising. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, almost 65 million forcibly displaced populations rarely have access to connectivit…
has type: Thesis/Dissertation
date issued: 2023-05
is shown at: 10.14288/1.0427392
language: eng
degree discipline: Interdisciplinary Studies
provider: Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
publisher: University of British Columbia
rights: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
rights URI: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
scholar level: Graduate
contributor: Yanacopulos, Helen
type: Text
identifier URI: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/83897