Social warfare in the online space
Keywords
Loading...
Authors
Issue Date
2023-06-15
Language
en
Document type
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Title
ISSN
Volume
Issue
Startpage
Endpage
DOI
Abstract
This study conducts a critical discourse analysis of an emerging pro-Ukrainian ideology in the online discursive community of the live discussion threads stickied on the front page of the r/worldnews subreddit on Reddit. Since the full scale invasion of Ukraine, the war is also being fought online. The manner in which popular communities discuss and engage with the war holds ever increasing significance on its potential outcome due to the power of the online space to shape attitudes, values and beliefs and provide a platform to organize action. The analysis of the sample shows that Ukraine as a nation is represented as brave, heroic and resilient, while Russia is conceptualized as a cruel, war-crime committing expansionist fascist state. Such framings are produced through the use of news, history and conceptions of geopolitics, as well as more explicit modes of participating in the larger war effort. The community negotiates its identity as a proactive supporter of Ukraine working towards achieving a Ukrainian military victory. Efforts to determine the effect of such popular discourse on offline behaviour as well as continued mapping of such virtual spaces is suggested, towards the broader goal of informed policymaking in this still unfolding conflict.
Description
Citation
Supervisor
Faculty
Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen