Date of Award
5-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Communication Studies
Committee Chair/Advisor
Dr. James Gilmore
Committee Member
Dr. Brandon Boatwright
Committee Member
Dr. Andrew Pyle
Abstract
The rise of popular podcasts has shaped public discourse and influenced millions worldwide on how they ought to think, imagine, and act about controversial subjects. Podcasts create an avenue for stories about power and technology to co-create a narrative that viewers buy into. This thesis analyzes one of these essential podcasts, Pod Save America, in how Democratic elite guests approach identity politics, a phenomenon best described as advocacy based on one position’s in society. I begin the thesis by considering the differences in scholarly interpretation of how identity politics functions conceptually and practically. Then, I integrate ideas about how party images and platforms function in the status quo, namely discussing the incentives for elites to control both; this is then tied to a discussion of how podcasts function and interact with the public sphere. To further existing literature, my thesis examines how Democratic elites participate in identity politics and its use through Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) and Critical Technological Discourse Analysis (CTDA), which serve as its primary methodologies.
Recommended Citation
Luteria, Geneva Lei P., "Identity, Party, and Politics: A Discourse Analysis of Democratic Elites in Pod Save America" (2026). All Theses. 4732.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4732
Author ORCID Identifier
0009-0004-3512-9661
Included in
Communication Technology and New Media Commons, Critical and Cultural Studies Commons, Social Influence and Political Communication Commons