Projects
Historical revisionism, revision history and alternative online media eco-systems in Japan—a socio-political analysis of nationalist contestation and political propaganda in the digital age KU Leuven
Social media has over the past decade seen an undeniable increase in politicization and subsequent association with populist right-wing political actors. As a result, specialized jargon such as 'alt-right', 'fachosphère' or the Japanese 'Netto-Uyoku' (lit. 'Net-Right')—referring to a phenomenon of Internet-facilitated neo-nationalism—have in their respective languages entered the mainstream discourse. In the case of Japan, one pillar of ...
A Cross-Country Comparison of Political (Mis-)information Provided by Social Media Influencers on YouTube and Youth’s Political Involvement KU Leuven
Social media influencers (SMI), defined as ordinary people who gain popularity on social media, are increasingly weaving political issues into their communication, which may be engaging for young followers, but also puts them at risk for misinformation. This thesis has provided important insights into political SMIs, their content, and consequences of exposure to their messages among youth: I delivered detailed and partly comparative (i.e., ...
Constructing the moral and political (ir)responsibilities towards Syrian and Afghan refugees. A sociological discourse analysis on how Belgian media, the public, civil society and policy have responded to refugee demands. University of Antwerp
InFormMe: Influencers’ (Mis-)Information on Social Media and Adolescents’ Political Engagement KU Leuven
So-called social media influencers, defined as digital opinion leaders
who have a large network of followers on platforms like Instagram or
YouTube, are highly popular among adolescents. Although originally
known for lifestyle content and commercial advertising, they
increasingly weave political issues into their communication. This
political content may have a crucial impact on adolescents, as their
political ...
Politics of interest representation and agenda-setting in multi-level political systems. University of Antwerp
Lobbying for the people: Interest groups and public pressure in EU legislative politics. University of Antwerp
Troping hope: A discursive and rhetorical-tropological analysis of the politics of humanity in the fiction and nonfiction of H. G. Wells. KU Leuven
This dissertation takes as its primary research object the early science fiction work of H. G. Wells and compares it to the scientific journalism of the same author during the beginning decade or so of his career (1890-1903), seeking a confrontation on the level of theme, argument, and rhetorical investment between the different modes of writing. Together with the work of other writers, including William James, Thomas Henry Huxley, and ...