Re-creating dominant ideologies: The 'virgin cure' in the postmodern moment

In the postmodern era, the Internet is ostensibly free from limiting identity markers and contains the potential to be ideal for democratic debate. In this thesis, textual analysis of a discussion forum from a website devoted to questioning authority allows for critical analysis of these assumptions. The discussion topic, six South African men accused of practicing the 'virgin cure,' transforms all black South Africans into an Other. In this thesis, this process is connected to a legacy of colonial, postcolonial, and development ideologies, in which discourse has been used to maintain systems of power. Examining grammatical markers of identity formation, this thesis traces the re-creation of dominant ideologies. This thesis critically questions the ability of the discussants to subvert dominant ideologies, focusing on negotiated use of media sources and ability to dissent from established metanarratives. A connection is drawn to international public health policy to criticize the impact dominant ideologies have on those involved.