Manning, Nathan orcid.org/0000-0003-0488-0888, Penfold-Mounce, Ruth Anne orcid.org/0000-0002-1344-460X, Loader, Brian Donald orcid.org/0000-0002-1016-4346 et al. (2 more authors) (2016) Politicians, Celebrities and Social Media:A case of informalization? Journal of Youth Studies. pp. 127-144. ISSN 1367-6261
Abstract
With electoral politics no longer organised by social class, politicians increasingly seek to relate to a broad spectrum of citizens and part of their relatability is conjured through more casual, informal performances aimed at cultivating authenticity. The various platforms of social media promote forms of authentic communication by blurring the public/private divide, creating ‘spontaneous’ and instant access to ‘real life’. This article seeks to investigate the informalization thesis (Wouters, 2007) by applying it to data from young people aged 16-21 years in Australia, the UK and the USA asked about the way politicians and celebrities use social media. Findings reveal respondents’ desire for more authentic and accessible politicians, but this was in direct tension with traditional views and expectations of politicians needing to be professional, informed and worthy of respect. Informalization amongst politicians is evident and welcomed by young citizens but persistent traditional views means it also threatens their credibility.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This is an author-produced version of the published paper. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher’s self-archiving policy. Further copying may not be permitted; contact the publisher for details |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Social Sciences (York) > Sociology (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 27 Jul 2016 08:22 |
Last Modified: | 02 Apr 2025 23:07 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2016.1206867 |
Status: | Published online |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1080/13676261.2016.1206867 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:102990 |
Download
Filename: Informalization_full_manu2_revised_May_.pdf
Description: Informalization_full manu2_revised_May -