Reactions Towards Politicians' Different Self Portrayals Among Individuals of Generation Z

Abstract: The aim of this study is to analyze the reactions of individuals within Generation Z in regards to various self presentations of politicians. The study has been conducted based on three focus groups, where certain Instagram posts of Ebba Busch, Ulf Kristersson and Nicola Sturgeon have been presented. As a way of answering our research question, “How do individuals within Generation Z express their reactions towards politicians’ self representations?”, we have chosen to present content of various levels of professional and personal features. Further, we have chosen to conduct the study based on the two theories Media Effects and Framing Theory. Despite the general use of both theories, often conducted in quantitative methods, we have chosen to conduct our study in a qualitative manner as a way of providing the study with in-depth knowledge of how and why certain reactions occur. Further, the theories have been used to analyze various frames, including Professional Frames, Personal Frames in Relation to Politicians Socializing, Personal Frames Demonstrated in Family Context as well as Professional Frames with Personal Attributes. Our findings indicate that the professional frames were more favorably interpreted in contrast to the posts displaying the politicians in personal settings. Furthermore, a professional frame with personal attributes gave rise to the most positive reactions, indicating that a certain degree of personalization was valued among our respondents.