E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (Jan 2023)
Protests and Media Representations: An Intersectional Analysis of the Marikana Massacre (2012), the Johannesburg Protests, and the Phoenix Massacre (2021)
Abstract
This study contributes to the current body of knowledge that explores how the media creates stereotypes and influences gender parity in society. A vast amount of literature has been published on gender and the media, resulting in sufficient conceptual and theoretical frameworks. Using intersectional analysis, the study examines how media frames, focalizes and represents intersecting roles to shed light on afro-patriarchal frames, stereotypes, and representations. A qualitative analysis of two major events that occurred during South Africa’s post-colonial period, the Marikana Massacre, the Phoenix Massacre which was accompanied by protests in parts of Johannesburg are presented in this study. The study findings highlight that these hallmark incidents in South African history are characterized by nationalistic, capitalist, and gendered discourses. As a result of the Marikana Massacre, the study suggests that the state insisted on pursuing its national interests at all costs, including using force and pushing agendas under the guise of increased nationalism and patriotism. In contrast, the study suggests that the state used limited force against looters and those who burned tyres and factories during the Phoenix Massacre. Moreover, dominant frames connected to state nationalism and upholding capitalism remain linked to intersectional differences in unequal societies.
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