Cultural Activism and the Construction of Diasporic Identities on Social Media: An Analysis of TikTok, Instagram, and X

Rajabu Abdalah Shafii
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Rajabu Abdalah Shafii: University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Global Digital Culture & Communication, 2024, vol. 1, 1

Abstract: The rise of digital platforms has profoundly transformed processes of social mobilization and the construction of cultural identities in transnational contexts. This article examines the role of cultural activism in shaping diasporic identities through social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). Using a mixed-methods approach that combines digital content analysis with descriptive statistical techniques, 1,200 posts associated with migrant communities and cultural diasporas between 2022 and 2025 were analyzed. The results show that social media functions as a space for symbolic articulation where diasporic subjects reconfigure identity narratives through practices of cultural visibility, hashtag activism, and audiovisual content production. Furthermore, three key dimensions of digital cultural activism were identified: (1) cultural preservation, (2) political advocacy, and (3) the construction of transnational communities. The data indicate that TikTok favors performative narratives of cultural identity, Instagram emphasizes aesthetic curation of identity, and X serves as a space for political debate and discursive activism. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of how digital technologies reshape the relationship between culture, migration, and political participation in the context of globalization. It is concluded that cultural activism on social media constitutes a key mechanism for the production of hybrid identities and the consolidation of digital diasporic communities, enabling the circulation of cultural memories, symbols, and political discourses across transnational spaces.

Keywords: Cultural activism,; digital diaspora,; social media,; cultural identity,; cyberactivism. (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.65835/gdcc.2024.1.1

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