Research Article

Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security as an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film

Number: 59 January 18, 2021
TR EN

Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security as an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film

Abstract

The Middle East is considered as a marginalized geography and difficult to understand for Western countries due to an orientalist and postcolonial perspective. Today, Lebanon, which offers an important opportunity to understand the Middle East from the political, economic, sociological and security perspectives, is a country facing various problems such as poverty, economic and political instability, ethnic and sectarian conflicts, uncontrolled migration movements and gender inequalities. Capernaum is a significant and effective example in terms of reflecting different living conditions and security perceptions in the Lebanon. In this study, how the security is defined through the eyes of the people from the Lebanon and how the perception of threats is shaped by the security issues of Lebanon are examined through the compelling Capernaum (2018) film of Lebanese female director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki. In this respect, the qualitative thematic content analysis of the film is carried out and it is revealed how the economic, social and religious problems of the Lebanese individuals evaluated in the context of human security are reflected in the film. As a result of the analysis, Capernaum is an exemplary film in terms of addressing the security concerns of Lebanon with a human security and gender perspectives. However, the film cannot address the causes, historical and social origins of these problems adequately, so, this might cause disconnections in the imagination of the audience.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

The authors declared that this study has received no financial support.

References

  1. Aridi, S. (2018, 11 April). Capernaum is not just a film, but a rallying cry. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/14/movies/Capernaum-nadine-labaki.html
  2. Aristoteles (2017). Poetika Şiir Sanatı Üzerine (F. Akderin, Trans.). İstanbul, Turkey: Say Yayınları.
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  5. Bağır, M. (2018). Aristoteles’in mimesis ve katharsis kavramları üzerinden bir film incelemesi: Dogville. Ege Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Medya ve İletişim Araştırmaları Hakemli E-Dergisi, 2, 36-55.
  6. Barkawi, T., & Laffey, M. (2006). The postcolonial moment in security studies. Review of International Studies, 32, 329–352. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210506007054
  7. Barrington, L. (2019, 8 March). Hezbollah calls on supporters to donate as sanctions pressure bites. Reuters. Retrieved from https://reut.rs/2EX7AqS
  8. Bilgin, P. (2005). Regional Security in the Middle East. New York, USA: Routledge.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Communication and Media Studies

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

January 18, 2021

Submission Date

July 16, 2019

Acceptance Date

April 9, 2020

Published in Issue

Year 2020 Number: 59

APA
Işık, M., & Özdemir, E. (2021). Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security as an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, 59, 193-217. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2020-0032
AMA
1.Işık M, Özdemir E. Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security as an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences. 2021;(59):193-217. doi:10.26650/CONNECTIST2020-0032
Chicago
Işık, Mehmet, and Emrah Özdemir. 2021. “Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security As an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film”. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, nos. 59: 193-217. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2020-0032.
EndNote
Işık M, Özdemir E (January 1, 2021) Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security as an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences 59 193–217.
IEEE
[1]M. Işık and E. Özdemir, “Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security as an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film”, Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, no. 59, pp. 193–217, Jan. 2021, doi: 10.26650/CONNECTIST2020-0032.
ISNAD
Işık, Mehmet - Özdemir, Emrah. “Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security As an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film”. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences. 59 (January 1, 2021): 193-217. https://doi.org/10.26650/CONNECTIST2020-0032.
JAMA
1.Işık M, Özdemir E. Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security as an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences. 2021;:193–217.
MLA
Işık, Mehmet, and Emrah Özdemir. “Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security As an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film”. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences, no. 59, Jan. 2021, pp. 193-17, doi:10.26650/CONNECTIST2020-0032.
Vancouver
1.Mehmet Işık, Emrah Özdemir. Redefining Security in the Middle East: Representation of Security as an Emancipatory Discourse in the Capernaum Film. Connectist: Istanbul University Journal of Communication Sciences. 2021 Jan. 1;(59):193-217. doi:10.26650/CONNECTIST2020-0032