News

New Publication: No Relief from War: The Use of Humour in Memes by the Government of Ukraine and the limitation of laughter

09.01.2025 -

Prof. Dr. Alexander Spencer, Mariam Ochkhikidze & Jan Günter Wessel have just published their latest research in International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, Vol. 20, No. 1 (2025)

 The title is No Relief from War: The Use of Humour in Memes by the Government of Ukraine and the limitation of laughter

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New Article: “Russian Warship, Go fuck yourself”. Romantic Narratives of the Hero in the War in Ukraine

09.01.2025 -

 

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Prof. Dr. Alexander Spencer, Gabriela Pancheva, Amri Azis Ardhelas & Andrea Torresagaton Gil have published their latest research article in British Journal of Politics and International Relations https://doi.org/10.1177/13691481241303258 

 

In this paper they explore the romantic construction of the ‘heroes’ that defend a righteous cause against a more powerful and unjust enemy often serves as a means to legitimise political narratives and violent actions. They take Ukraine as a case study. 

 

Abstract of the Paper

 

In times of war, ‘heroes’ play a key role. The romantic construction of the ‘heroes’ that defend a righteous cause against a more powerful and unjust enemy often serves as a means to legitimise political narratives and violent actions. The iconic phrase ‘Russian warship, go fuck yourself!’ uttered by a Ukrainian border guard during an imminent Russian attack on Snake Island in February 2022 became a globally known symbol of heroism and resistance that generated great solidarity against the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Taking up notions of hero studies in political science and International Relations, and utilising a narrative analysis method that focuses on the elements of setting, characterisation and emplotment, this article examines how British media outlets (The GuardianThe Times and The Sun) construct the figure of the romantic ‘hero’ within the context of the Snake Island incident, while it also delves into the possible consequences of such heroisation.

 

Get access to the paper from here

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New Publication: From resistance to legitimation: The changing role of humour in politics

09.01.2025 -

Prof. Dr. Alexander Spencer and Daniel Beck have just published their latest research in Sage Journal: Alternatives: Global, Local, Political.

 The title is From resistance to legitimation: The changing role of humour in politics

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Join us in congratulating our graduate student Tamina Rössger for the prize of gender research of Saxony-Anhalt for her Master thesis.

18.12.2024 -

Congratulations to our graduate student Tamina Rössger for the prize of gender research of Saxony-Anhalt for her Master thesis.

Thesis title was: Locating Women’ on the Move’s Vulnerability – An Examination of a contested Category in the Public Communication of ROSA e.V. Rolling Safespace

Tamina looked at an NGO that is active in Greece and creates mobile safe spaces for women* who are arriving in Greece as forced migrants. She looked at the term vulnerability and analysed how it is used by this organisation in relation to said women.

It was a critical project in relation to the connection between vulnerability and agency and how vulnerability is used by the organisation and what that says about their perspective on the women they are working with and how it might translate into their practice.

 

The prize was handed out at the annual day of gender research in Saxony-Anhalt:
https://www.kgc-sachsen-anhalt.de/LandesweiterTagGenderforschung2024-path-1034,1036,498.html

Here you can find the call:
 https://www.kgc-sachsen-anhalt.de/Genderforschung/F%C3%B6rderpreis+f%C3%BCr+Genderforschung.html

 

The prize is annually awarded by the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health and Equality and the Saxony Anhalt Coordination Office for Gender Research and Equal Opportunities. And the Minister for Equality Petra Grimm-Benne handed it out.

Here you can find the press release by the ministry:
https://ms.sachsen-anhalt.de/aktuelles/news-detail/genderforschungspreis-fuer-beste-abschlussarbeiten-vergeben

 

 Photos Copyright @KGC Sachsen-Anhalt

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