Political Facebook groups: Micro-activism and the digital front stage

Authors

  • Jose Marichal California Lutheran University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v18i12.4653

Keywords:

facebook, political identity, activism, miroactivism

Abstract

This paper seeks to expand our understanding the dynamics of political SNSs by means of a content analysis of 250 politically oriented Facebook groups. Using Google Translate, I examine Facebook groups from 32 different countries in 23 different languages. Using grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) and Goffman’s (1978) work on dramaturgy, I develop a theory of a digital front stage that helps explain how and why Facebook users create groups. This digital front stage is maintained, I argue, through the use of four sets of signifiers (expressivity, identity, signifiers and text length). Because Facebook is a nonymous (as opposed to anyonmous) environment, actors can seek to construct “hoped for possible (political) selves” (Markus and Nurius, 1986). Political Facebook groups allow for the performance of these “possible selves” through the formation of idealized political identities. In the conclusion, I discuss the implications of SNS applications like Facebook groups for the future of digital citizenship.

Author Biography

Jose Marichal, California Lutheran University

Associate Professor Political Science

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Published

2013-12-08

How to Cite

Marichal, J. (2013). Political Facebook groups: Micro-activism and the digital front stage. First Monday, 18(12). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v18i12.4653