dc.description.abstract | The 2016 Brexit referendum campaign and the political debate following it have been discussed at length in the years following it. Many of those who voted to Remain, most important academics and other political commentators, accuse Leavers of purposefully using nostalgia in order to persuade voters to vote Leave. This thesis analyzes the nature of these accusations in a content analysing, mainly focusing on the rhetorical aspects of the accusations. It analysed two primary sources by two sets of academics and asked how these Remainers used nostalgia as an accusation against Leavers. The thesis draws on the criticism Robert Saunders raised against his own colleagues. In order to shed light on the issue the thesis presents a theoretical framework where the term nostalgia is defined according to several fields of study. It also seeks to see whether the accusations are also able to invoke emotions in the readers, and in what ways. | |