The Northern Irish hunger strikers as cultural icons
PDF
e-pub

Keywords | Nøgleord

#hunger strike, #iconicity, #news, #cross-cultural; #Irish

Citation/Eksport

Simuna, Erja. 2015. “The Northern Irish Hunger Strikers As Cultural Icons”. Academic Quarter | Akademisk Kvarter, nr. 10 (juni):222-32. https://doi.org/10.5278/ojs.academicquarter.v0i10.2784.

Abstract | Abstract

The aim of this article is to discuss hunger strikers as cultural icons. Fasting is a non-violent way of communicating a message or achieving a goal. It is a process that includes and reveals poignant cultural values, and can be regarded as a symbolic gesture. It is also a phenomenon recognised by many cultures. As the nature of this recognition can vary between different cultures, wider cross-cultural aspects of iconicity can be reached.

This article examines the 1981 Northern Irish hunger strike to find out what iconic attributes are connected with the hunger strikers. A special focus is given to the role of international news media as an intensifier of iconicity.

https://doi.org/10.5278/ojs.academicquarter.v0i10.2784
PDF
e-pub