Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2023, Mass Communication (Communication)

This dissertation investigates both Muslim women as well as online media users' thoughts and opinions toward the ongoing conversational debate on hijab bans. Specifically, the aim behind this study is two-fold: It highlights explicitly raising Muslim women's original voices by hearing their own experiencing concerning the recent hijab bans and restrictions. In addition, with the guide of framing approach, this study also centers on gauging YouTube users' sentiments and opinions expressed in comments on news videos about hijab bans—shared by mainstream media outlets in such an uninhabited environment (YouTube). The methodological basis of this dissertation centered on carrying out mixed methods convergent parallel design by combining the results of both a thematic textual analysis of interview data and social media sentiment analysis of social media data. Combining the results of two diverse types of methods in one study helps provide fresh-holistic insights into the phenomenon and enhances the study's overall depth and breadth. In stage one, using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 20 Hijabi Muslim women, I documented several meaningful statements and stories shared by Muslim women wearing the hijab, and the following themes were emerged: Belief, Freedom of Choice, Spirituality, Happiness, and Education. In stage two, a total of 8775 comments posted by online users as they interacted with mainstream media outlets' news reporting on Hijab bans and restrictions were collected, cleaned, and analyzed using several analytical techniques. The sentiment analysis of user comments shared on the selected ten YouTube news videos revealed that the total sentiment score expressed in the YouTube comment corpus regarding news about hijab restrictions was more negative than positive. Further, the results of both stages were integrated and interpreted in the discussion chapter.

Committee: Laeeq Khan (Advisor) Subjects: Mass Media; Middle Eastern History; Religion; Womens Studies

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2022, Mass Communication (Communication)

Media and representation of minorities have long been a focus of attention in communication and social science research. Media representation allowed scholars to move beyond understanding people in the mediated texts as just a portrayal or reflection of the existing reality. It saturated the media stream and established norms and common sense about minorities, cultures, and institutions in modern society. While a great deal of academic research has been conducted on the representations of Arabs and Muslims in Western media and Hollywood, little research which examines the representations of Arabs in Disney animated films were noticed. Therefore, this dissertation centers on the portrayal of Arabs in Disney animated films. It aims to identify the most prominent frames used by Walt Disney to portray Arabs, focusing on whether such films frame Arabs regarding their penchant for violence and terrorism and how they may exhibit sexist images. In addition, it seeks to explore a realization among Disney online audiences of possible negative depictions of Arabs and the story patterns assigned to them. The basis of this research was ten Disney animated films and audiences' opinions and reviews on those films. A mixed-methods convergent parallel design was employed to attain a complementary set of results that would complement one another and, therefore, strengthen the research's overall findings. Specifically, both framing analysis and quantitative textual analysis were used. Framing analysis findings revealed that the behavioral and violence frames were the most prominent frames of Arabs in Disney animation. Also, detailed explanations of Arab images in terms of violence, terrorism, and sexism were offered and discussed. The results on quantitative textual analysis of the IMDb dataset indicated that six main themes emerged, Aladdin, Original Disney, Disney Music, Disney Magic, Entertainment Production, and Animate. Also, the quantitative results illustrated the main concepts (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: M. Laeeq Khan (Advisor) Subjects: Film Studies; Mass Communications; Mass Media