Deconstructing Brexit: A Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis of the Language and Ideology of the Brexit Debate

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Dekonstrukcija Brexita: multimodalna kritička diskursna analiza jezika i ideologije u javnoj debati o Brexitu
• Author: Matej Car
• Mentor: Anđel Starčević (mentor)
• Committee member: Višnja Josipović-Smojver (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Anda Bukvić Pažin (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Anđel Starčević (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; (Department of English language and literature); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2024-07-05, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: HUMANISTIC SCIENCES; Philology; Anglistics

Abstract

This paper critically investigates the use of Facebook advertisements by the Vote Leave campaign during the 2016 Brexit referendum through the lens of Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis (MCDA). The paper aims to uncover how the campaign’s strategic use of visual and textual elements might have influenced public opinion and voter behavior. Utilizing a theoretical framework that integrates concepts of discourse, ideology, and multimodality, the study analyzes a selection of targeted advertisements to understand the interplay of these elements. Furthermore, the research reveals that the Vote Leave campaign effectively leveraged emotional and ideological appeals to shape perceptions of the European Union, portraying it as a threat to British sovereignty, cultural identity, and economic stability. The combination of visual and textual elements successfully embedded the campaign’s ideological messages within the public consciousness, potentially influencing the outcome of the referendum. The findings, for example, the frequent use of British cultural symbols to invoke a sense of nationalism and nostalgia, or the use of metaphors to reinforce the campaign’s narrative, underscore the powerful role of digital political advertising in contemporary electoral processes and highlight the importance of critically examining such content to understand its influence on voter perceptions and behavior. This paper contributes to the broader understanding of how multimodal discourse shapes social realities and political outcomes.

Abstract (croatian)

Ovaj rad kritički istražuje, kroz prizmu multimodalne kritičke analize diskursa (MCDA), korištenje Facebook oglasa od strane Vote Leave kampanje tijekom referenduma o Brexitu 2016. godine. Cilj rada je otkriti kako je strateška upotreba vizualnih i tekstualnih elemenata od strane kampanje mogla utjecati na javno mnijenje i ponašanje birača. Koristeći teorijski okvir koji integrira pojmove diskursa, ideologije i multimodalnosti, rad analizira odabrane ciljanje oglase kako bi se razumjelo međudjelovanje tih elemenata. Nadalje, istraživanje otkriva da je kampanja Vote Leave koristila emocionalne i ideološke apele kako bi oblikovala percepciju Europske unije, prikazujući je kao prijetnju britanskom suverenitetu, kulturnom identitetu i ekonomskoj stabilnosti. Kombinacija vizualnih i tekstualnih elemenata uspješno je ugrađivala ideološke poruke kampanje u javnu svijest, potencijalno utječući na ishod referenduma. Rezultati istraživanja, poput učestale upotrebe britanskih kulturnih simbola za izazivanje osjećaja nacionalizma i nostalgije ili korištenja metafora za jačanje narativa kampanje, naglašavaju snažnu ulogu digitalnog političkog oglašavanja u suvremenim izbornim procesima i ističu važnost kritičkog ispitivanja takvog sadržaja kako bi se razumio njegov utjecaj na percepcije i ponašanje birača. Ovaj rad doprinosi širem razumijevanju kako multimodalni diskurs oblikuje društvene stvarnosti i političke ishode.

• Keywords: Brexit; ideology; discourse; multimodality; critical discourse analysis; politics
• Keywords (croatian): Brexit; ideologija; diskurs; multimodalnost; kritička analiza diskursa; politika.
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:131:324900
• Study programme: Title: English Language and Literature (single major); specializations in: TEFL, Linguistics, Literature and Culture, Translation; Course: Linguistics; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti (magistar/magistra engleskog jezika i književnosti)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-07-10 14:30:56