Unveiling evolving nationalistic discourses on social media: a cross-year analysis in pandemic

Xiao-Kun Wu, Gang Gu, Tian-Tian Xie, Tian-Fang Zhao () and Chao Min
Additional contact information
Xiao-Kun Wu: Remin University of China
Gang Gu: South China University of Technology
Tian-Tian Xie: South China University of Technology
Tian-Fang Zhao: Jinan University
Chao Min: Nanjing University

Palgrave Communications, 2024, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract The global pandemic has dramatically reshaped public discourse, with social media emerging as a pivotal platform for these discussions. This study delves into evolving sentiments, emotions, and prevalent topics in online discussions spanning the years 2020, 2021, and 2022, drawing from a dataset of 2.65 million tweets from the Twitter Platform. A multifaceted approach that combines quantitative and qualitative methods are developed for dissecting evolving discourses, with a particular focus on the lens of nationalism. The quantitative part disassembling sentiment & emotion, topics, and Co-Occurrence Network yields a nuanced understanding of the textual content. A qualitative theoretical analysis named Evolving Discourse Framework Analysis are designed to unravel the textual discourse. Study results in the development of an adaptable framework. Findings expose nationalist orientations and the framing elements present within online public discourse, which are categorized into three distinct frames: ‘feeling,’ ‘identity,’ and ‘action.’ Importantly, the ‘feeling’ frame interconnects with the ‘identity’ frame, ultimately shaping responses within the ‘action’ frame. The frames shine a light on a complex and interconnected web of nationalist narratives that exist within the online sphere, subtly influencing public opinion and behavior. This study serves as a reminder that beneath the surface of seemingly unified global discourse, there exists a segmented world, ripe for further exploration and understanding.

Date: 2024
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1057/s41599-024-03425-3 Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:pal:palcom:v:11:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-024-03425-3

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/palcomms/about

DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-03425-3

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Palgrave Communications from Palgrave Macmillan
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().