| Project Detail |
The global resurgence of populism continues to have devastating legislative effects, particularly for human rights and media independence. While contemporary scholarly investigations into this political phenomenon tend to focus on right-wing populist figures, it is essential to broaden understanding beyond this current anxiety to combat the rise of anti-democratic movements. A more nuanced understanding of populism derived from this study will decentralise the Eurocentric conflation of populism and the political right that exists at present. The proposed project will respond to the rich scholarship emerging from Latin American scholars on left-wing populism to enrich global debates and critical reflection on the question of how to define populism and challenge its pervasive narratives.
The project will examine the visual representation of left-wing Mexican populist president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024) from his first presidential campaign in 2006 to the end of his first year in office in December 2019. Scrutinising this case study in dialogue with other Latin and North American populists, the proposed research will facilitate closer engagement with present-day populism, public persona and the mediatising of politics.
With ten years of experience in researching the representation of Mexico’s political system, predominantly through film and visual media, and with a focus on its figureheads, I am uniquely qualified to pursue this line of investigation.
To deliver this project, I will be drawing on five documentary texts, a selection of televised morning press conferences (mañaneras), and referencing social media in order to analyse the creation of a political persona in the context of the Mexican socio-historic landscape. My deep interest and expertise in contemporary Mexican politics, media and art, my commitment to decolonizing research and scholarship, and my extensive portfolio of work on the intersection of these subjects will form an exceptio |
