Papers by Chiara Gius
Journal of Gender Studies, 2021
In spring 2015, six private videos of a young Italian woman (T.C.) were uploaded on the web witho... more In spring 2015, six private videos of a young Italian woman (T.C.) were uploaded on the web without her consent. The videos went immediately viral, and suddenly the woman found herself at the centre of a strenuous legal battle to have the videos removed from the internet and to obtain a change of surname. In her complaint, she stated that despite having willingly participated in the filming, she had never consented to the circulation of the videos and as a result of the unwanted publicity she was receiving she was unable to lead a normal life. Incapable of coping with the growing social pressure, in the late summer of 2016 the woman took her own life. Looking at the comments posted under two newspaper articles published online in the immediate aftermath of her suicide, this article examines the socio-cultural implications of nonconsensual porno- graphy practices in the contemporary Italian public debate. Specifically, this study will try to address the following questions: how was T.C.’s case constructed by the public? How was the responsibility for her death framed in such a discussion? What are the implications of such responses when discussing societal sexism and gender inequality in contemporary Italy?
Mediascapes Journal, 2020
How have women been portrayed during the initial phase of the coronavirus pandemic? What issues w... more How have women been portrayed during the initial phase of the coronavirus pandemic? What issues were discussed across European newspapers when women were at the center of the narrative during the lockdown? This paper aims to provide some initial answers to these questions by looking at a bulk of 462 articles collected across 5 different European countries during the so-called "phase 1" of the COVID-19 pandemic when strict stay-at-home policies were imposed to contain the spread of the virus. Results show that four frames were mostly used by the media: women as a vulnerable group, women as actors in the pandemic, women's health, and women as a transformative force in society. Implications of these findings will be discussed and the emergence of a "women's narrative" in the coronavirus crisis will be proposed.
Comunicazione Punto Doc, 2016
La crescente attenzione prestata dalla stampa italiana al tema del femminicidio richiede di inter... more La crescente attenzione prestata dalla stampa italiana al tema del femminicidio richiede di interrogarsi sulle diverse modalità di narrazione e rappresentazione che, in un'ottica di responsabilità giornalistica, il racconto di tali eventi possono sollecitare. Partendo da una rilettura di una precedente analisi di 166 articoli pubblicati nel 2012 da 3 quotidiani italiani in relazione a casi di uccisioni di donne per mano del partner (Gius, Lalli 2014) questo contributo si interroga sull'esigenza di piste di ricerca fenomenologica che aiutino, da una parte, a rendere esplicite le regole tacite che ispirano l'apparenza neutra del resoconto giornalistico e, dall'altra, a contribuire alla costruzione di un terreno comune di giornalismo socialmente responsabile, aperto all'esplorazione di percorsi innovativi. Parole chiave Femminicidio, notiziabilità, rappresentazioni sociali, violenza di genere. Abstract The growing attention paid by the Italian press to violent and lethal crimes (i.e.
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 2019
This paper aims to explore the significance that social media plays in
the lives of transnational... more This paper aims to explore the significance that social media plays in
the lives of transnational migrants. Building on data collected during
a six-month online/offline ethnography conducted among the
members of a Facebook group for Italian migrants in Toronto, it is
argued here that diasporic online communities provide a
privileged location to capture the complex process of identity
transformation undergone by migrants. Data suggests that
research into online communities allows for a dynamic and
adaptive understanding of the migratory experience capable of
recognising the lives of migrants not just as the results of single
events, but as trajectories that could help reach a better
understanding of the evolution of life courses, as well as changes
in social status.
Current Issue in Tourism, 2015
This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing academic debate on volunteer tourism by reviewing th... more This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing academic debate on volunteer tourism by reviewing the volunteer tourists’ experience in light of their encounter with poverty and sufferance. Through the analysis of data collected from semi-structured in-depth
interviews with a group of 29 young Italian adults, the author examines the different ways in which volunteer tourists construct and negotiate their role as agents of change during their vacations abroad. Results show that the expectations of providing
effective help to the local communities is often challenged by the limitations and constraints of the volunteer tourism experience and, as a consequence, volunteer tourists need to find new ways of making sense of their experiences abroad. Looking
at the work of French sociologist [Boltanski, L. (1999). Distant suffering. Morality, media and politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press] on the ways in which spectators respond to the distant suffering of others, this paper argues that, in order to
avoid an oversimplification and a trivialisation of the volunteer tourism experience, the volunteers’ participation needs to be addressed primarily as a matter of spectatorship, rather than as a question of agency.
ESSACHESS - Journal for Communication Studies, vol. 7, No 2 (14), 2014-, pp. 37-52 - ISSN 1775-352X
In Italy law has accepted “honour crimes” perpetrated by men until little more than 30 years ago.... more In Italy law has accepted “honour crimes” perpetrated by men until little more than 30 years ago. As cultural dimensions are often slower to change, it is interesting to analyze the capacity to account for femicides in the press in a period in which the topic has become more and more relevant all over Europe. Building on existing literature, this study explores how three major Italian newspapers frame crimes of intimate partner femicide. Using 166 articles published in 2012, the authors examine - by a thematic analysis conducted along different items - which aspects are conveyed by the news to account for the 53 intimate partner femicides reported in the press in this period. Findings suggest that while Italian news media heavily rely on narratives of love and passion to frame intimate partner homicide, a social discourse justifying the “loss of control” it is also used to sustain representation of femicides as crimes impossible to be prevented or predicted.
In recent years a growing number of associations have developed projects in what has been called ... more In recent years a growing number of associations have developed projects in what has been called 'voluntourism'. According to the definition given by Stephen Wearing, volunteer tourism is a form of travel where tourists 'volunteer in an organized way in order to undertake holidays that might involve aiding or alleviating the material poverty of some groups in society, the restoration of certain environments or research into aspects of society or environment.' 1
Book Reviews by Chiara Gius
Book by Chiara Gius
Uploads
Papers by Chiara Gius
the lives of transnational migrants. Building on data collected during
a six-month online/offline ethnography conducted among the
members of a Facebook group for Italian migrants in Toronto, it is
argued here that diasporic online communities provide a
privileged location to capture the complex process of identity
transformation undergone by migrants. Data suggests that
research into online communities allows for a dynamic and
adaptive understanding of the migratory experience capable of
recognising the lives of migrants not just as the results of single
events, but as trajectories that could help reach a better
understanding of the evolution of life courses, as well as changes
in social status.
interviews with a group of 29 young Italian adults, the author examines the different ways in which volunteer tourists construct and negotiate their role as agents of change during their vacations abroad. Results show that the expectations of providing
effective help to the local communities is often challenged by the limitations and constraints of the volunteer tourism experience and, as a consequence, volunteer tourists need to find new ways of making sense of their experiences abroad. Looking
at the work of French sociologist [Boltanski, L. (1999). Distant suffering. Morality, media and politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press] on the ways in which spectators respond to the distant suffering of others, this paper argues that, in order to
avoid an oversimplification and a trivialisation of the volunteer tourism experience, the volunteers’ participation needs to be addressed primarily as a matter of spectatorship, rather than as a question of agency.
Book Reviews by Chiara Gius
Book by Chiara Gius
the lives of transnational migrants. Building on data collected during
a six-month online/offline ethnography conducted among the
members of a Facebook group for Italian migrants in Toronto, it is
argued here that diasporic online communities provide a
privileged location to capture the complex process of identity
transformation undergone by migrants. Data suggests that
research into online communities allows for a dynamic and
adaptive understanding of the migratory experience capable of
recognising the lives of migrants not just as the results of single
events, but as trajectories that could help reach a better
understanding of the evolution of life courses, as well as changes
in social status.
interviews with a group of 29 young Italian adults, the author examines the different ways in which volunteer tourists construct and negotiate their role as agents of change during their vacations abroad. Results show that the expectations of providing
effective help to the local communities is often challenged by the limitations and constraints of the volunteer tourism experience and, as a consequence, volunteer tourists need to find new ways of making sense of their experiences abroad. Looking
at the work of French sociologist [Boltanski, L. (1999). Distant suffering. Morality, media and politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press] on the ways in which spectators respond to the distant suffering of others, this paper argues that, in order to
avoid an oversimplification and a trivialisation of the volunteer tourism experience, the volunteers’ participation needs to be addressed primarily as a matter of spectatorship, rather than as a question of agency.