Inter-ideological mingling: White extremist ideology entering the mainstream on Twitter |
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Authors: | Roderick Graham |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Sociology and Criminology, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USArgraham@odu.edu |
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Abstract: | ABSTRACTThis case study explores the convergence of white extremist political ideology with mainstream political ideology on the micro-blogging platform Twitter – a phenomenon termed “inter-ideological mingling”. Exploring the spread of white extremism in the digital environment can provide insight into the growth of hate groups in the physical environment. A sample of 4800 tweets was examined through hierarchical cluster analysis and textual analysis. Several pieces of evidence were found supporting inter-ideological mingling. Cluster analysis shows that extremist terms are not isolated from terms found in mainstream political discourse. Textual analysis of individual tweets provides evidence for five strategies of inter-ideological mingling: joining, blending, piggybacking, backstaging, and narrating. |
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