2018

Biro, Andrew

Acadia University

Bachelor of Arts

Honours

Politics

Politics

This thesis investigates the 2016 American presidential campaign in an effort to understand how the white working class is constituted as a group of voters who were brought together not just by a shared class and economic experience or identity, but also as a powerful political discourse that describes how xenophobic, racist, and sexist viewpoints were brought to the surface of American society as white Americans felt alienated and excluded from their own country. The white working class became a particular group of interest during this time period because of its association with Donald Trump as it was described as the base of his voters. Using the work and theory of Stuart Hall, my thesis will identify how the ideas of society, culture, ideology, communication, and identity can be used to explain particular political moments and identities like the white working class in 2016 America. Hall’s analysis of Thatcherism and the ‘new wave of conservatism’ found in Great Britain in the 1980s provides a useful framework to help understand the construction of the white working class in relation to Trump. In order to understand the construction of the white working class, this thesis will apply the political analysis found in Hall’s work on Thatcherism to three slogans of Trump’s presidential campaign of “Build the wall!” “USA! USA!” and Lock her up!” This thesis will examine how the white working class was created and how it became a powerful political force in the 2016 American presidential campaign.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:2636