Bridging Activism and Party Politics

Mapping Frame Alignment Processes in Politicians' Use of Hashtags

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2414773
AutoresEmma Östin (0009-0006-7482-1698, Umeå University, autor correspondente), Stefan Lindgren (0000-0001-6289-9427, Umeå University)
Ano2024
Volume10
Fascículo2
Data de publicação2024-04-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoSocial Media + Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 2056-3051 • E-ISSN: 2056-3051
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/20563051241245668
OpenAlexW4395003991
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas2
Referências citadas34

The use of hashtags has become an effective tool for activists to mobilize public support. This study explores whether, and in what ways, such hashtags have been adopted by politicians in power. Conducting a systematic, cross-national analysis, we examine how politicians use, what we call, activism-related hashtags. Using data from the Twitter Parliamentarian Database, we analyze the hashtagging practices of politicians in 10 countries: Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The analysis explores what types of hashtags politicians use, and to what extent these tags are activism-related. We also analyze what activist causes hashtags used by politicians are related to, to better understand what causes are the most palatable to politicians. We further analyze qualitatively how the activism-related hashtags are used by the politicians. Through a combination of thematic analysis and frame analysis, we find that, in relation to the wide range of hashtags that politicians use, activism-related hashtags constitute a limited share. Our analysis also indicates that although politicians do indeed use activism-related hashtags, this can be for many different reasons and purposes, beyond merely supporting the cause or position of the original activist initiative. We find that politicians may join in with the key contention behind the hashtag, renegotiate the meaning of the hashtag to be able to align party-political ideologies with it, or engage with it by questioning or subverting it

Computer security · Political activism · Political science · Politics · Computer Science · Electoral Systems and Political Participation · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics