Who Deserves to be Refugee? : The Instrumentalization of Art and Culture in the Solidarity Discourse of Ukrainian Refugees in Social Media

Year 2022, , 538 - 557, 28.11.2022

Balca Arda

https://doi.org/10.56074/msgsusbd.1175562

Cited By: 1

Abstract

This article explores the online display of artistic ability and cultural practice to express support for the resistance in Ukraine and Ukrainian refugees while blaming the Russian attack on the country starting in 2022. Social media engagement is essential in constructing discursive traits of belonging through bottom-up articulations of ‘us’ and ‘them’ dichotomies. Here, I question the distinguished characteristics of representation related to art, artistic practices, and abilities under solidarity social media posts in the case of Ukrainians fleeing their homes. Social media users who include art and culture concerning solidarity use a discourse of inclusion and exclusion to depict refugees as parts of civilization and hence not reducible them to the bare life position. This study is guided by critical multimodal discourse analysis. I contend that these social media posts that convey specific art and culture-related representations serve to distinguish characteristics of war-torn Ukraine, people displacement, and Ukrainian refugees from the generic tendencies of otherization reflected on the ‘Southern’ refugee figure deprived of capability or motivation for logos.

Keywords

REFUGEE, MIGRATION, SOCİAL MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS, UKRAINE, ART

Supporting Institution

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Thanks

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Mülteci Olmayı Kim Hak Eder? : Ukraynalı Mültecilerin Sosyal Medyada Dayanışma Söyleminde Sanat ve Kültürün Araçsallaşması

Abstract

Bu makale; kültürel pratiklerin ve sanatsal yetenek gösteriminin, Rusya’nın 2022 Ukrayna saldırısına karşı Ukrayna direnişini desteklemek ve Ukraynalı mülteciler ile dayanışmak amacıyla kullanımını inceler. Aidiyet söylemi “biz” ve “onlar” ayrımları üzerinden kullanıcılar tarafından sosyal medyada başka bir araç veya temsile gerek kalmaksızın inşa edilebilmektedir. Bu makale, Ukraynalıların haklı tanımlanan direnişlerini ve anavatanlarından ayrılma zorundalıklarının çevrimiçi dayanışma paylaşımları altında nasıl da sanat, sanatsal pratikler ve kültürel faaliyetler üzerinden temsil edildiğini analiz eder. Bu sosyal medya kullanıcıları, mültecileri medeniyetin bir parçası olarak göstermekte ve dolayısıyla mültecileri “çıplak yaşam (bare life)” konumuna indirgememek için özel aidiyet söylemi kullanmaktadır. Bu araştırma eleştirel çokludüzlem söylem analizini esas alır. Bu çevrimiçi temsiller, Ukraynalı mülteciliğini ve savaş sonrası yerinden edilmiş bireyleri geride kalmış yoksul küreselleşen güney kesiminden gelmesi alışılagelmiş göçmen ötekileştirmesinin dışına çıkarır. Çünkü bu dayanışma söyleminde Ukraynalı mülteci tahayyülü entelektüel aktivite (logos) ile özdeşleşir.

Keywords

MÜLTECİ, GÖÇ, SOSYAL MEDYA, UKRAYNA, SANAT, TEMSİL

Project Number

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