Heri Ryanga - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Heri Ryanga
Theatre Journal: A Journal of the Society of Nigeria Theatre, 2017
This article focuses on social media and the propagation of violence against women. It has been c... more This article focuses on social media and the propagation of violence against women. It has been claimed that the power of the media to set an agenda, to focus public attention on key public concerns, including gender issues, is highly significant. This implies that the media can influence what the public thinks about. However, the foregoing is, to a large extent, in reference to the traditional or mainstream media. We live in a digital age. What about the new media or social media? Can social media platforms (SMPs) such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook be used to set the agenda for change in contemporary society? Can SMPs be used to focus the attention of the public on gender issues, particularly on how to address sexual and other forms of violence against women? Can these platforms engender social change or they are just tools for leisure or entertainment? It is in reaction to these issues that this article uses descriptive and observational methods to investigate three social media campaigns on Twitter and Facebook-He For She, Bring Back Our Girls and My Dress My Choice-with a view to assessing their capacity to set the public's agenda towards combating sexual violence against women and whether social media is an effective tool to create awareness on what is at issue. While we argue that the social media is an acknowledged change agent which is capable of mobilizing the public to stand up against incidents of sexual violence, among other gender issues, the conclusion reached is that in the three instances we examined, the momentum is often short-lived.
Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw in " The Agenda-Setting Function of the Media " (1972) claimed th... more Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw in " The Agenda-Setting Function of the Media " (1972) claimed that the power of the media to set a nation's agenda, to focus public attention on key public concerns, including gender issues, is highly significant. This implies that the media can influence what the public think about. However, the statement is, to a large extent, in reference to the traditional or mainstream media. We live in a digital age. What about the new media or social media? Can social media platforms (SMPs) such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook be used to set the agenda for change in contemporary society? Can SMPs be used to focus the attention of the public on gender issues, particularly on how to address sexual and other forms of violence against women? Can these platforms engender social change or they are just tools for leisure or entertainment? Employing descriptive and observational methods this article investigates three social media campaigns on Twitter and Facebook – He For She, Bring Back Our Girls and My Dress My Choice-with a view to assessing their capacity to set the public's agenda towards combating sexual violence against women and whether social media is an effective tool to create awareness on what is at issue. While we argue that the social media is an acknowledged change agent which is capable of mobilizing the public to stand up against incidents of sexual violence, among other gender issues, the conclusion reached is that in the three instances we examined, the momentum is often short-lived.
This paper investigates the impacts of insecurity on the economy of the Mt. Elgon region as a res... more This paper investigates the impacts of insecurity on the economy of the Mt. Elgon region as a result of the three year conflict. As is common in any conflict, its effects are felt long after the last bullet was fired. Its consequences far outweigh whatever cost was incurred during the conflict. In 2006, violence erupted in Mt. Elgon in western Kenya. The conflict was between the Soy and the Mosop. This violence was a manifestation of pent up tensions resulting from a land dispute that had spanned decades. It saw the formation of the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) to protect the land interests of the Soy against the Mosop and their sympathizers. The SLDF perpetrated many forms of violence on the people of Mt. Elgon. They destabilized the administrative system in that area and threatened the security of the entire region.
The study seeks to determine the use of rape as a weapon in the Mt. Elgon conflict, its effective... more The study seeks to determine the use of rape as a weapon in the Mt. Elgon conflict, its effectiveness as a weapon and its impact on society. The study used the strategic rape theory which propagates that sexual violence is calculated and premeditated to achieve a certain end. This theory was complemented by the conflict theory of sexual stratification which bases the roots of violence towards women as a consequence of societal stratification that exalts male domination which manifests in the battle field through the violation of women.
Drafts by Heri Ryanga
Countless studies have been done to on women and war. However, the bulk of them usually paint wom... more Countless studies have been done to on women and war. However, the bulk of them usually paint women as victims especially of sexual violence. The body of a woman is often the very battlefield on which the wars are fought. However, that is not the only role women have in war. Furthermore, the researches on the wars in Africa mostly feature the political aspect of it and the military strategies used. The role of women in these wars is usually mentioned or quickly highlighted but is not the subject matter of the study. Whenever mentioned, they are victims. However, women can no longer be ignored when it comes to matters of war. In today’s world, women and security are intertwined. This is therefore a concept note for a proposed research on the evolution of women as combatants in African wars.
Theatre Journal: A Journal of the Society of Nigeria Theatre, 2017
This article focuses on social media and the propagation of violence against women. It has been c... more This article focuses on social media and the propagation of violence against women. It has been claimed that the power of the media to set an agenda, to focus public attention on key public concerns, including gender issues, is highly significant. This implies that the media can influence what the public thinks about. However, the foregoing is, to a large extent, in reference to the traditional or mainstream media. We live in a digital age. What about the new media or social media? Can social media platforms (SMPs) such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook be used to set the agenda for change in contemporary society? Can SMPs be used to focus the attention of the public on gender issues, particularly on how to address sexual and other forms of violence against women? Can these platforms engender social change or they are just tools for leisure or entertainment? It is in reaction to these issues that this article uses descriptive and observational methods to investigate three social media campaigns on Twitter and Facebook-He For She, Bring Back Our Girls and My Dress My Choice-with a view to assessing their capacity to set the public's agenda towards combating sexual violence against women and whether social media is an effective tool to create awareness on what is at issue. While we argue that the social media is an acknowledged change agent which is capable of mobilizing the public to stand up against incidents of sexual violence, among other gender issues, the conclusion reached is that in the three instances we examined, the momentum is often short-lived.
Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw in " The Agenda-Setting Function of the Media " (1972) claimed th... more Maxwell McCombs and Donald Shaw in " The Agenda-Setting Function of the Media " (1972) claimed that the power of the media to set a nation's agenda, to focus public attention on key public concerns, including gender issues, is highly significant. This implies that the media can influence what the public think about. However, the statement is, to a large extent, in reference to the traditional or mainstream media. We live in a digital age. What about the new media or social media? Can social media platforms (SMPs) such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook be used to set the agenda for change in contemporary society? Can SMPs be used to focus the attention of the public on gender issues, particularly on how to address sexual and other forms of violence against women? Can these platforms engender social change or they are just tools for leisure or entertainment? Employing descriptive and observational methods this article investigates three social media campaigns on Twitter and Facebook – He For She, Bring Back Our Girls and My Dress My Choice-with a view to assessing their capacity to set the public's agenda towards combating sexual violence against women and whether social media is an effective tool to create awareness on what is at issue. While we argue that the social media is an acknowledged change agent which is capable of mobilizing the public to stand up against incidents of sexual violence, among other gender issues, the conclusion reached is that in the three instances we examined, the momentum is often short-lived.
This paper investigates the impacts of insecurity on the economy of the Mt. Elgon region as a res... more This paper investigates the impacts of insecurity on the economy of the Mt. Elgon region as a result of the three year conflict. As is common in any conflict, its effects are felt long after the last bullet was fired. Its consequences far outweigh whatever cost was incurred during the conflict. In 2006, violence erupted in Mt. Elgon in western Kenya. The conflict was between the Soy and the Mosop. This violence was a manifestation of pent up tensions resulting from a land dispute that had spanned decades. It saw the formation of the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) to protect the land interests of the Soy against the Mosop and their sympathizers. The SLDF perpetrated many forms of violence on the people of Mt. Elgon. They destabilized the administrative system in that area and threatened the security of the entire region.
The study seeks to determine the use of rape as a weapon in the Mt. Elgon conflict, its effective... more The study seeks to determine the use of rape as a weapon in the Mt. Elgon conflict, its effectiveness as a weapon and its impact on society. The study used the strategic rape theory which propagates that sexual violence is calculated and premeditated to achieve a certain end. This theory was complemented by the conflict theory of sexual stratification which bases the roots of violence towards women as a consequence of societal stratification that exalts male domination which manifests in the battle field through the violation of women.
Countless studies have been done to on women and war. However, the bulk of them usually paint wom... more Countless studies have been done to on women and war. However, the bulk of them usually paint women as victims especially of sexual violence. The body of a woman is often the very battlefield on which the wars are fought. However, that is not the only role women have in war. Furthermore, the researches on the wars in Africa mostly feature the political aspect of it and the military strategies used. The role of women in these wars is usually mentioned or quickly highlighted but is not the subject matter of the study. Whenever mentioned, they are victims. However, women can no longer be ignored when it comes to matters of war. In today’s world, women and security are intertwined. This is therefore a concept note for a proposed research on the evolution of women as combatants in African wars.