Abstract
Social media is an important transmitter of anti-immigration political rhetoric. In this study, we examine the discussions posted in a Finnish online forum provoked by an MP’s anti-multiculturalist Facebook post. We draw upon frame analysis and discursive social psychology to analyse the communicative processes that challenge and normalise anti-immigration political rhetoric. Using frame analysis, we study how forum users entered heated societal discussion on multiculturalism by framing the MP’s anti-multiculturalist address as either hate speech or – more dominantly – as normal political conduct. Using discursive social psychology, we examine constructions of multiculturalism in these discussions. We demonstrate how anti-immigration political communication was normalised, multiculturalism was constructed as a threat and the proponents of multiculturalism were discredited. We argue that to understand the rise of anti-immigration political movements, it is important to examine everyday political deliberation online as part of a wider discursive landscape.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1461444819899624 |
Journal | New Media & Society |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 3 |
Pages (from-to) | 438-456 |
Number of pages | 19 |
ISSN | 1461-4448 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Mar 2021 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Fields of Science
- 5144 Social psychology
- discursive sosial psychology
- frame analysis
- hate speech
- migration
- multiculturalism
- online political deliberation
- ONLINE
- RACIST
- DISCOURSE
- FRAME
- CONSTRUCTION
- PREJUDICE
- POPULISM
- INTERNET
- ACCOUNTS
- FORUMS