Social Media, Citizenship and New Social Movements: The Role of Facebook Use in the Construction of Collective and Civic Identities by the Indignados Movement in Greece and France
Date Issued
November 2015
Author(s)
Advisor
Abstract
At the dawn of the 21st century we witness an upsurge in mobilization and collective action by
a wide range of activists and groups engaging in social and political protest, all over the world.
What these movements have in common is not only their association with the global financial
crisis but also their extensive use of online social media like Facebook and Twitter for
mobilization, participation and coordination. Thus, the Indignados movement which sprung in
Southern Europe in 2008, constitute a new phenomenon that deserves to be studied in its own
right, not only as a form of social movements per se, but also with regard to the role of digital
technologies in collective action. Scholars from a wide range of disciplines have tended to
focus on questions about the role of the internet in protest, without attending to the changing
meaning of what it means to be a citizen within such movements and through their practices
and discourses (see Bennett & Segerberg, 2012). Two questions in need of empirical study and
which remain unanswered in the literature are: 1. How is civic and collective identity
constructed within current constellations of social movements such as the Indignados? 2. How
is this construction process mediated by the use of Facebook? This dissertation responds to this
need through an empirical study of the discourses and online content of Indignados activists in
France and Greece. Drawing an analytical framework from the components of civic and
collective identity, it brings together elements that are necessary for a two-level analysis: a) the
tangible aspects such as the practices of movements and their participants and b) the ideational
aspects such as the feelings of activists within the movement and in relation to the nation.
More specifically, this thesis aimed, first, at mapping different forms and processes attached
with the construction of civic and collective identity through the discourses of actors. By the
use of semi-structured interviews and online content, we attempted to discern and analyse the
actors’ belonging, practices, identification and values and principles within the political
community in question (the nation-state) and the collectivity (the Indignados), exploring the
multiple and complex layers of their feelings. The second objective was to explore the role of
Facebook in this process, which allowed us to critically evaluate the potential of social media
in the negotiation of civic and collective identity in both meaning and practice. This
dissertation provides some insights regarding the figure, shape and nature of citizens in the
Indignados movements, arguing for a redefinition of civic identity as a dynamic and unfixed
entity based on the everyday struggles and practices of individuals. Along with this, collective
! vii!
identity among the Indignados could be qualified as hybrid, multi-layered and open-ended, by
pointing out the different elements which coexist within the movement such as politically
diverse individuals, different political flows and discourses and new forms of belonging. The
role of Facebook seems to be more complex. Several elements found online (e.g. civic talk,
creation of collective frames of reference around actions) certainly contribute to the
reproduction of civic and collective identities and seem to create a fertile ground for
empowerment and the construction of active citizenship in the Indignados movement.
However, further research is needed in order to demonstrate the long-term efficacy of such
communicative practices in movement outcomes and trajectories.
a wide range of activists and groups engaging in social and political protest, all over the world.
What these movements have in common is not only their association with the global financial
crisis but also their extensive use of online social media like Facebook and Twitter for
mobilization, participation and coordination. Thus, the Indignados movement which sprung in
Southern Europe in 2008, constitute a new phenomenon that deserves to be studied in its own
right, not only as a form of social movements per se, but also with regard to the role of digital
technologies in collective action. Scholars from a wide range of disciplines have tended to
focus on questions about the role of the internet in protest, without attending to the changing
meaning of what it means to be a citizen within such movements and through their practices
and discourses (see Bennett & Segerberg, 2012). Two questions in need of empirical study and
which remain unanswered in the literature are: 1. How is civic and collective identity
constructed within current constellations of social movements such as the Indignados? 2. How
is this construction process mediated by the use of Facebook? This dissertation responds to this
need through an empirical study of the discourses and online content of Indignados activists in
France and Greece. Drawing an analytical framework from the components of civic and
collective identity, it brings together elements that are necessary for a two-level analysis: a) the
tangible aspects such as the practices of movements and their participants and b) the ideational
aspects such as the feelings of activists within the movement and in relation to the nation.
More specifically, this thesis aimed, first, at mapping different forms and processes attached
with the construction of civic and collective identity through the discourses of actors. By the
use of semi-structured interviews and online content, we attempted to discern and analyse the
actors’ belonging, practices, identification and values and principles within the political
community in question (the nation-state) and the collectivity (the Indignados), exploring the
multiple and complex layers of their feelings. The second objective was to explore the role of
Facebook in this process, which allowed us to critically evaluate the potential of social media
in the negotiation of civic and collective identity in both meaning and practice. This
dissertation provides some insights regarding the figure, shape and nature of citizens in the
Indignados movements, arguing for a redefinition of civic identity as a dynamic and unfixed
entity based on the everyday struggles and practices of individuals. Along with this, collective
! vii!
identity among the Indignados could be qualified as hybrid, multi-layered and open-ended, by
pointing out the different elements which coexist within the movement such as politically
diverse individuals, different political flows and discourses and new forms of belonging. The
role of Facebook seems to be more complex. Several elements found online (e.g. civic talk,
creation of collective frames of reference around actions) certainly contribute to the
reproduction of civic and collective identities and seem to create a fertile ground for
empowerment and the construction of active citizenship in the Indignados movement.
However, further research is needed in order to demonstrate the long-term efficacy of such
communicative practices in movement outcomes and trajectories.
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