Title
Translating Occupy: Global Social Movements, Culture, and Processes of Engendering Change
Document Type
Student Presentation
Presentation Date
4-15-2013
Faculty Sponsor
erin mcclellan
Abstract
In dealing with the Occupy social movement of late 2011 to early 2012, the diverse portrayals of the different branches of the movement varied throughout various media outlets. Specifically, Occupy Frankfurt (Germany) was covered in news outlets across the world due to its prominence on the international stage. We analyze three texts, viewed as “translations” of the movement, that report on Occupy Frankfurt to discover how the “translation” can differ when attempting to bridge the gap between different cultures. Indeed translation can be linguistic and cultural, serving to (re)present an idea to a different audience than originally intended. Furthermore, we seek to reveal the complex interactions between official and vernacular discourses about Occupy Frankfurt as a social movement. In analyzing the different types of discourse surrounding this movement, and by discussing who is involved, what is revealed as meaningful, and how meanings can (potentially) engender change, we can apply this method of analysis to study social movement rhetoric as a whole.