Dajer, D. and Reilly, P. orcid.org/0000-0002-6890-778X (Accepted: 2021) Social media and intergroup contact during contentious episodes in divided societies : comparative perspectives from Colombia and Northern Ireland. In: IAMCR 2021 Online Conference Papers. IAMCR 2021, 11-15 Jul 2021, Nairobi, Kenya (online). IAMCR - International Association for Media and Communication Research
Abstract
This paper adds to the emergent literature on social media and intergroup contact in post-conflict societies through a comparative study of contentious episodes in Colombia and Northern Ireland. A qualitative case study approach is used to explore how online social media platforms act as ‘connectors’ and ‘dividers’ in these two societies, both of which remain deeply-divided along sectarian lines despite peace settlements being in place. Using case studies such as the UK EU Referendum and the plebiscite on the Colombian peace agreement (both held in 2016), the paper examines whether there is any evidence of the ‘agonistic pluralism’ envisaged by Mouffe (2013), where former enemies are recast as ‘adversaries’ who respectfully disagree about contentious issues. The cases show that unstructured online contact during contentious episodes was invariably antagonistic, rather than agonistic. Despite initiatives to foster intercommunity dialogue online, pre-existing ‘offline’ polarisation was mirrored and intensified by the affective publics mobilised on social media, with online disinformation and misinformation exacerbating tensions between sectarian communities.
Metadata
Item Type: | Proceedings Paper |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2021 The Authors. For re-use permissions please contact the authors. |
Keywords: | Unstructured intergroup contact; polarisation; social media; peacebuilding |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Social Sciences (Sheffield) > Information School (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 15 Jul 2021 06:36 |
Last Modified: | 11 Sep 2021 00:39 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | IAMCR - International Association for Media and Communication Research |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:176210 |