Toronto Metropolitan University Open Journals
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Gender-based violence and associated factors among internally displaced and refugee women in Africa: A scoping review
No full textBackground: Although Africa has a large population of displaced women, there is no current review of literature on gender-based violence (GBV) among this population. This scoping review study aimed to map the literature on GBV among women of reproductive age (15-49 years) living in refugee and IDP camps in Africa in the years 2019 to 2024. Method: A literature search was conducted for full-text peer-reviewed original research articles published in English, which included women of reproductive age in refugee and internally displaced camps over five years. Results: The prevalence of GBV ranged from 4.7% to 85.8%. Perpetrators of GBV and reporting of GBV were mostly (63.3%) from the host communities in Nigeria. The associated factors of GBV include individual-level factors, community factors, and lack of social support and social protection. Discussion: Although the scope was limited by a few databases, this review provides current evidence and a summary of GBV in Africa. Conclusion: Although mostly high, there was variation in the prevalence of GBV in many African countries. There may be a need for educational intervention to mitigate GBV in Africa. More longitudinal and experimental research is recommended for causal inferences on GBV and displaced women in Africa
Playful Knowledge Transfer as a Response to Crises
No full textHow can interactive practices of audiovisual knowledge transfer react to crises such as war and disinformation? How can we intervene in the chaos? What possibilities are there to increase mental resistance to manipulation? This contribution hypothesizes that playful knowledge transfer in interactive documentaries can respond to crises by making complex interrelationships experienceable and enabling users to try out actions in media environments that prepare them for challenges in real life.
“You will soon join training on disinformation. You won’t be forced to do anything against your beliefs, so choose your character and decide which side you want to fight for. Trolls or Elves?” These are the opening words of the gamified interactive web-documentary Trolls vs Elves (UK 2023, Aleksandra Rydzkowska), which deals with the activities of disinformation-spreading internet trolls on the one hand and cyber activists called ‘cyber elves’ on the other. Game elements are used to explain real issues such as the disinformation narratives about the war in Ukraine.
This contribution analyzes Trolls vs Elves drawing on research on gamification in documentary and journalism (Ferrer-Conill 2016). Gamification is understood as “the use of game design elements in non-game contexts” (Deterding et al. 2011, 2). Rather than presenting prefabricated knowledge, users experience it interactively.
Methodologically, the study examines the strategies for making mechanisms experienceable in the web-documentary by analyzing the interaction possibilities on two levels (cf. Kermanchi 2019). The first level relates to the replication of processes in the larger structure. The navigation concept and its representation via the interface play a central role at this level. The second level focuses on the transformation of social action into intramedial action. Drawing on Bruno Latour, social action is not limited to human actors (Latour 2005, 71). For this examination of the individual interaction possibilities, the form, context, and purpose need to be examined (cf. Nash 2012, 200–201).
In Trolls vs Elves, gamification serves both to impart knowledge and to intervene, as this contribution aims to show. By being ‘trained’ either as trolls or as cyber activists in the web-documentary, the players experience the mechanisms underlying the spread of disinformation narratives about the war in Ukraine. They learn how to debunk and counter disinformation techniques, and how to combat online propaganda. To progress in the online experience, users must decide, for example, which social media posts embedded in the project are spreading false information about Ukraine. By ensuring that all content in the web-documentary refers to reality and by revealing false information, the project counteracts existing disinformation narratives. Using documentary film material, network analyses, and data visualizations, Trolls vs Elves not only represents reality but also intervenes in it, as the contribution argues. The reference to reality, furthermore, becomes apparent when the project ultimately asks players not to follow the trolls’ advice learned during the web-documentary and not to spread disinformation in real life.
By enabling intramedial action that is transferable to real life, gamification therefore has potential as well as limitations and dangers, which this contribution examines
I Am Not Myself: Exploring Identity, Satire, and Social Critique Through Digital Avatars on Instagram
No full textThe ubiquitous digital space has seen a rise of virtual avatars which has introduced opportunities for individuals to reimagine, challenge, and explore their identities. These customisable, symbolic representations allow users to experiment with various aspects of their identity, such as gender, race, age, and appearance, marking them free from the constraints of physical reality. The anonymity provided by digital avatars empower creators to address sensitive socio-political issues without fear of reprisal, making contentious topics accessible and less confrontational, thereby fostering critical reflection among audiences. It provides a space to challenge caste and class hierarchies by exposing societal hypocrisies, often shrouded under the garb of humour and satire.
Through this paper, we explore the use of satirical digital avatars on Instagram by analysing two prominent Instagram accounts: Swineryy and Anurag Minus Verma (through the character, Ronnie Malhotra) to challenge societal hypocrisies and question social hierarchies. This paper examines how satirical Instagram creators in India and Pakistan- two opposing nations unified by humor- use digital avatars as a tool of self-performance and provide social critique through mockery.
Using qualitative critical discourse analysis, we identify themes of gendered satire, performative politics, religious dogmatism, and institutional critique. The paper aims to address the following pertinent questions: i) How do digital avatars on Instagram shape or reshape the presentation of self, enabling unified creators to perform fragmented or strategic identities within the socio-cultural frameworks of India and Pakistan? ii) How do satirical digital avatars employ humor, vantage anonymity, and stylized performance to critique hegemonies of caste, class, and privilege, particularly in the Indian and Pakistani contexts? iii) What role does audience engagement play in reinterpreting, amplifying, transforming, or curbing the meaning of such satirical performances, and how do these interactions contribute to the upending or upliftment of social hierarchies in digital spaces?
Drawing on Goffman’s concept of identity as performance, this qualitative study explores how digital personas navigate the boundaries between personal and public critique in their everyday lives and understand how avatar-based representations influence creator agency and audience reception. Employing a critical discourse analysis framework, the paper examines how the creators address power dynamics, challenge privilege, and create space for marginalised perspectives
“I Love Talking To You Guys About These Books”: How BookTubers Build Community Through Viewer Address
No full textAcross social media platforms, communities have formed around shared interests such as reading. A prominent online community is BookTube, a reader community that has formed on YouTube, promoting reader discourse with audience members from around the world. BookTube represents a broader community among readers that is facilitated by YouTube as an interactive media platform. Content creators on BookTube, also known as BookTubers, create both long- and short-form content related to books and reading, such as full book reviews, book recommendations, and bookstore vlogs (video blogs). Especially in long-form content like bookstore vlogs, BookTubers build and reinforce their individual communities, in many cases by establishing parasocial relationships with viewers. As is common practice in online communities on platforms like YouTube, BookTubers directly address audience members to give the impression of mutual participation in a book-shopping trip, reading challenge, or other reading-related practice. Considering the extent to which BookTubers can influence the reading choices or practice of fellow readers and prospective readers alike, especially since popular BookTubers’ videos regularly receive between hundreds of thousands or millions of views, there is room to further study the application and implications of this common community-building approach.
This paper will present an analysis of bookstore vlogs from BookTube channels that reflect broader trends in community engagement and contemporary online reader communities. The sample of twenty-seven videos studied for this project were uploaded to YouTube over a six-month period, between September 2022 and February 2023. These videos were manually coded using qualitative content analysis, focusing on ways in which BookTubers directly address readers to promote engagement with both their content and their individual communities. This paper highlights specific BookTubers as case studies within the full sample of videos to represent themes that emerged from the analysis of the videos. Through viewer address, these BookTubers engage viewers in their discussions of books and considerations about reading-related practices, such as by promoting dialogue in comments and going book-shopping “together” with viewers in bookstore vlogs, thereby cultivating reciprocity between the content creators and their fellow readers. This paper contributes to the ongoing scholarly conversation on social media influence and emerging discussions of BookTube and its counterparts on other social media platforms (e.g., TikTok’s #BookTok and Instagram’s Bookstagram) by identifying themes related to the language used by BookTubers to address viewers and invite their ongoing participation and involvement, adding to the growing body of work on online community formation, parasocial relationships, and interactivity
Exploring Resonances in Audio Media: A Critical Discourse Analysis of On the Record
No full textThis paper examines On the Record, China’s first podcast devoted to uncovering the truths behind famous murder cases, through the lens of critical discourse analysis. As audio media experiences a resurgence in popularity (Newman, 2024), this study highlights the podcast’s unique strategies for fostering resonance with its audience, situating it within the broader context of evolving media landscapes.
Employing Norman Fairclough’s (1992, 2013) critical discourse analysis framework, this research focuses on three dimensions of On the Record’s discourse practices. The first dimension explores the textual features of the podcast, including vocabulary, tone, style, and rhetorical strategies. These elements are key to understanding how On the Record crafts its narratives to evoke emotional and intellectual engagement. The second dimension investigates the institutional processes that shape the podcast’s production, such as editorial decisions, resource allocation, and constraints posed by China’s media environment. Finally, the discourse process is analyzed to reveal how the podcast constructs meaning and appeals to listeners by balancing sensationalism with investigative rigor.
The podcast’s ability to resonate with audiences is closely tied to its use of audio as a storytelling medium. Unlike traditional visual or written media, audio fosters an intimate, immersive experience, enabling listeners to connect deeply with the narratives. On the Record effectively leverages this affordance by weaving together detailed storytelling, personal reflections, and soundscapes that heighten the emotional impact. This approach not only captivates its audience but also challenges conventional news media by prioritizing depth over brevity, offering a slower, more reflective engagement with complex issues in our society.
This study also addresses the socio-cultural significance of On the Record. As part of China’s burgeoning podcasting landscape, the podcast represents a shift in how media audiences seek and engage with narratives in a digital, post-truth era. By analyzing its revival and sustained relevance, the research uncovers how On the Record navigates the tensions between commercial viability and public interest journalism. The findings demonstrate how the podcast constructs resonance through shared cultural memory, collective trauma, and the exploration of moral and ethical dilemmas, fostering a sense of solidarity and introspection among listeners.
In the context of interactive media, this paper contributes to understanding the transformative role of audio media in shaping audience experiences. It argues that On the Record not only tells stories but also cultivates a space for emotional and intellectual resonance that transcends the boundaries of traditional journalism. By doing so, it underscores the potential of audio media to build meaningful connections, foster resilience, and inspire collective reflection in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.
This study provides a nuanced perspective on the evolving role of audio media as a powerful tool for storytelling and engagement, offering valuable insights into how podcasts like On the Record resonate with audiences and create lasting cultural impacts
Interactive Storytelling, User Agency and Emerging Gender Narratives in the Web Space
No full textArguably, storytelling has always been part of human existence and has historically played a crucial role in the evolving nature of the society. It could be described as a thriving, highly esteemed art form that enhances community cohesion, assists in learning, preserves memories, and provides amusement. A peek into the historical trend of storytelling reveals a thread of progression with changing times and emerging technologies. But one thing remains constant, the storytelling space has always been a platform for contextualization and interplay of perspectives. Interactive storytelling offers an interesting kind of narrative experience, one in which a story’s unfolding can be influenced by its audience. This study recognizes user agency as a theoretical underpinning of interactive storytelling which allows for the understanding of users’ responses in social media as well as their underlying mechanisms. It leans on the relative theories of Mediamorphosis and Objectification to examine the Honest Bunch Podcast within the framework of coevolution, convergence, and complexity as well as its interception with the framing of gender narratives. Adopting a qualitative content analysis approach, this study explores the relationship between human and technological agency as well as how interactive storytelling presents gender focused narratives as part of our social media experience. It submits that a story can be considered from the perspective of its featured characters or from a more abstract perspective at the global level of the plot while amplifying the narrative experiences with elements of plurality
The Fruit We Bare: A Collection of Poems
No full textPardis Aliakbarkhani is a poet and artist living outside of Toronto, Canada. Growing up a member of the Iranian diaspora in the GTA, Aliakbarkhani recalls feeling disconnected from her cultural roots and at odds with her Canadian upbringing. The only common consensus between the two worlds seemed to be that fatness was akin to laziness, and laziness was akin to wickedness, and wickedness is akin to queerness; and so, very suddenly and profoundly she situated herself from the periphery of privilege to its margins
‘Unshrinking: How to Face Fatphobia’ (2024) by Kate Manne
No full textKate Manne’s Unshrinking, How to Face Fatphobia (2024) details her lived and academic experience with fatphobia in private and public in order to promote what she calls “body reflexivity,” an adaptable term used to forgo judgment of ourselves and reject any need to judge another person’s body or assign negative or positive judgment to it (p. 205). Despite her writing and research on dehumanization through misogyny, she details how internalized fatphobia has crept its way into her psyche, made her attempt to shrink herself, and even shaped her willingness to pursue professional opportunities out of fear of how her body will be perceived and treated. This “imposter syndrome,” she says, is much less reflective of how one feels, but how one feels as a result of their lived reality and social treatment (p. 120). When we are treated as imposters, we feel like imposters. Unshrinking has a conversational and engaging writing style sprinkled with anecdotes and humor
Representation of Reality and Truth: An Analysis of Media Objectification at the Rohingya Refugee Camps in Bangladesh
No full textThis paper explores the contested concepts of “truth” and “reality” in documentary media by critically examining theoretical perspectives and applying close reading analysis to a recent short documentary. Beginning with foundational definitions by John Grierson, Bill Nichols, and Patricia Aufderheide, the paper traces how notions of actuality, indexicality, and ethical representation are embedded within the genre’s form and purpose. Drawing on the scholarship of Philip Rosen, Michael Renov, and Trinh T. Minh-Ha, this study interrogates the idea that documentaries can offer unmediated access to truth or reality, and instead argues for a more nuanced, reflexive understanding of representation. As a case study, the paper analyzes Silent Suffering: Inside the Rohingya Refugee Crisis (2024), produced by EU Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, selected through purposive sampling for its narrative clarity, and visual accessibility. Through a close reading of its imagery, structure, and portrayal of Rohingya women and children, the paper contends that the documentary, while ostensibly humanitarian, reproduces objectifying tropes that dehumanize its subjects. Ultimately, this analysis calls for ethical documentary practices that critically engage with representation, voice, and power in the depiction of displaced populations
Not So Nice, After All: Failures of Fat Representation in Michael Schur’s “Nicecore” Worlds
No full textMichael Schur’s television shows are celebrated for their feel-good sensibilities and focus on connection over conflict—an aesthetic dubbed “Nicecore.” Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place, and Rutherford Falls won over audiences and critics with their optimistic take on humanity. However, beneath the layers of niceness, there is a troubling pattern of fat shaming and anti-fat jokes that starkly contradicts the progressive values these shows claim to uphold. This paper examines the pervasive use of fat-shaming humor, fat suits, and the exclusion of fatness from Schur’s idealized worlds, arguing that these depictions reinforce harmful stereotypes about body size and perpetuate anti-fatness in popular culture. The essay also explores the intersection of fatness with race and gender, illustrating how Schur’s work reflects broader societal anxieties about fat bodies. By analyzing one of the most influential voices in contemporary television, this essay underscores the necessity of holding even well-intentioned media to a higher standard, pushing for a more inclusive and compassionate portrayal of diverse body types