collective identity and consensus in an electoral weblog: a comparison between a leader and his...
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COLLECTIVE IDENTITY AND CONSENSUS IN AN ELECTORAL WEBLOG: A COMPARISON BETWEEN A LEADER AND HIS VOTERS
ANNARITA CELESTE PUGLIESE & CARMENÇITA SERINO
Department of Psychology - University of Bari, Italy
8TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS
SOCIAL REPRESENTATIONS: MEDIA AND SOCIETY
ROME, AUGUST 28TH - SEPTEMBER 1ST 2006
Social Identity Theory and Self-Categorization Theory (Oakes, Haslam & Turner, 1994; Tajfel, 1979, 1981; Tajfel & Turner, 1986; Turner, 1991; Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher & Wetherell, 1987)
The Social Identity Approach to Computer Mediated Communication (Lea & Spears, 1991)
Identity, language and consensus (Haslam, 2001; Reicher & Hopkins, 1996a, 1996b, 2001; Serino & Pugliese, 2006)
Theoretical frameworkTheoretical framework
Background to the researchBackground to the research
In 2004 Sergio Cofferati was the first Italian politician to implement a weblog in his web site for the administrative electoral campaign in which he was the mayor candidate for the city of Bologna
As it is possible to gather by reading Cofferati’s blog, this computer mediated communication tool, allowing a daily dialogue between the leader and his voters, offers the opportunity to examine ‘live’ a social categories consensualization process within a political group, with a comparison between a candidate and his voters
The discursive productions of both candidate and voters comes under a negotiation process among the parts, around which it is built a consensualization toward a common identity and a shared political project
Weblogs and participationWeblogs and participation
Cerca
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Tutte le categorie : Scuola
Difendiamo i diritti dei nostri figli
6 Febbraio 2004 - Oggi a Bologna si svolgerà una manifestazione per difendere il tempo pieno e la qualità della scuola, che il governo di centro destra vuole drasticamente ridurre. Nelle stesse ore ho altri impegni e quindi non potrò esserci, ma sono convinto che la scuola sia un argomento importante che deve riguardare tutti. Chi governa a livello nazionale e chi amministra Bologna è sordo alle richieste dei genitori, degli insegnanti e dei ragazzi e questo è inammissibile. La scuola e la formazione sono le prime risorse che dobbiamo usare per dare un futuro alla nostra città e l’accesso alla conoscenza è un elemento di cittadinanza e di civiltà. A Bologna dovremo valorizzare la qualità dell’istruzione in tutti i luoghi e le fasi del percorso di crescita dei ragazzi: dagli asili nido al tempo pieno, dalla formazione professionale all’università. La scuola non è solo il luogo dell’apprendimento, è anche un luogo in cui i giovani stanno insieme e, oggi, si sente la mancanza di questi spazi. A Bologna, poi, credo ci siano più ragioni per protestare contro i tagli che il centro destra ha in programma. La riduzione delle risorse per il tempo pieno, che nella nostra città è sempre stata una realtà assai diffusa, andrà a sommarsi a una situazione grave che qui non si era mai verificata: ci sono settecento famiglie in lista d’attesa per gli asili nido. Ecco perché è necessario chiedere una politica per le scuole e le famiglie che tenga conto di queste esigenze e insieme lavorare perché in futuro questa situazione venga cambiata. Sergio Cofferati La manifestazione è organizzata dal Coordinamento in difesa del tempo pieno. L’appuntamento è per le ore 18 in Piazza XX Settembre. (la redazione) pubblicato il 06/02/2004
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I nviato: 6/ 2/ 2004 12:54 Aggiornato: 6/ 2/ 2004 13:01
Prove di smantellamento della scuola pubblica Carissimo Cofferati, penso che questo tuo intervento sia molto importante, perché rappresenta un segnale di incoraggiamento per tutti noi che ci ritroviamo a dover combattere - in questi giorni - per un diritto che credevamo fondamentale: l'istruzione dei nostri figli. Assistiamo increduli al susseguirsi di proposte che perseguono un unico fine: smantellare pian piano la scuola pubblica cercando di svuotarla di tutte le risorse (umane e materiali) necessarie per perseguire la qualità dell'istruzione a cui accenni nel tuo intervento.
Blogs are web pages containing frequently updated textual notes and a collection of hypertextual links
The blog main channel contains the texts of the author (posts), dated and arranged in reverse chronological order, so to show the most recent message at the beginning of the column
Readers have the possibility to make a comment on the messages of the blog author
(Hevern & Pugliese, 2005)
Objectives Objectives
The analysis of the in-group categorization processes implied in textual messages found on Sergio Cofferati’s blog
In particular, the research have compared the several contents and inclusion levels of the category We used by the candidate as well as by his voters
A preliminary reading of the messages corpus enabled us to clearly identify two voters distinct typologies, who used different participation strategies within the in-group consensualization process:
1. SUPPORTERS: distinguished themselves for their unconditional support to the candidate and for the characteristic of accepting and carrying on the topics of discussion proposed by the latter, therefore showing a clear agreement with regards to the shared political project
2. NEGOTIATORS: although ensuring support to the candidate, they wrote messages containing critical comments, launching new discussion topics through which to negotiate some aspects of the shared project which they considered quite controversial
Objectives IIObjectives II
In summary we wanted to investigate:
1) if the inclusion’s levels and the content of the in-group categories were manipulated by the leader in order to increase social influence and consensus
2) how inclusion’s levels and content of the in-group categories changed in the different voters’ styles of participation within the consensualization process (Supporters/Negotiators)
MaterialsMaterials
CANDIDATECANDIDATE 56 messages
SUPPORTERSSUPPORTERS 182 messages
NEGOTIATORSNEGOTIATORS 81 messages
The messages selected were those included in the period of time between the 28th of January 2004, the day on which Cofferati started the blog, and the 12th of June 2004, date of the administrative elections
The messages which couldn’t be attributed to the candidate voters were immediately discarded (n=33)
Inter-coder reliability: K= .76
Analytical ProcedureAnalytical Procedure
A qualitative and quantitative approach aiming at identifying the meanings of the categories of We into an overall argument and within contexts
The operationalization of research questions into categories included in a coding scheme (Weber, 1990)
Basic unit of text to be classified: the simple sentence, made up of subject, verb and predicates
A pre-test coding was carried out, effected on 30% of the material, from which it was possible to ascertain the scheme exhaustiveness
Intercoder reliability: K= .87
The coding schemeThe coding scheme
WE Country In-group defined by the affiliation to Italy, with reference to its history, its culture and its traditions
WE Agreeing Superordinate in-group including voters and candidate usually aiming at pursuing an objective which appears to be shared by the two parts
WE Torn In-group built on the conflicting belonging to the group. It shows a breach between being part of a group and not being completely identified with that group
WE Political Part In-group built on the belonging to the political coalition or to the parties making it up
We Citizens In-group built on the status of citizen and the sharing of issues related to the city management
WE Bolognesi In-group defined by the affiliation to the city of Bologna, with reference to its history, its culture and its traditions
WE List In-group built on the institutional belonging to the party with a precise reference to the electoral framework (programme; electoral campaign)
CATEGORIES OF THE ‘WE’ WITHIN THE CANDIDATE, CATEGORIES OF THE ‘WE’ WITHIN THE CANDIDATE, SUPPORTERS AND NEGOTIATORS’ MESSAGESSUPPORTERS AND NEGOTIATORS’ MESSAGES
Country Agreeing Torn Political Part Citizens Bolognesi List Generic Tot. %
CANDIDATES 11 47 0 19 42 7 79 4 209 38.4
SUPPORTERS 9 36 11 42 65 26 11 11 211 38.9
NEGOTIATORS
6 4 9 23 50 15 4 12 123 22.7
Tot. 26 87 20 84 157 48 94 27 543 100
% 4.8 16 3.7 15.5 28.9 8.8 17.3 5 100
Country Agreeing Torn Political Part Citizens Bolognesi List Generic Tot. %
CANDIDATES 11 47 0 19 42 7 79 4 209 38.4
SUPPORTERS 9 36 11 42 65 26 11 11 211 38.9
NEGOTIATORS
6 4 9 23 50 15 4 12 123 22.7
Tot. 26 87 20 84 157 48 94 27 543 100
% 4.8 16 3.7 15.5 28.9 8.8 17.3 5 100
CORRESPONDENCE ANALYSIS FOR THE CATEGORIES OF THE ‘WE’CORRESPONDENCE ANALYSIS FOR THE CATEGORIES OF THE ‘WE’
GENERIC
CITIZENS
BOLOGNESI
TORN
COUNTRY
AGREEING
NEGOTIATORS
SUPPORTERS
CANDIDATE
LIST
POLITICAL PART
Axis 1 (92.58%)
Axis 2 (7.42%)
Critical Support versus Consensus Building
Ideo
log
ica
l ver
sus
Pra
gm
ati
c M
em
be
rsh
ip
WE CountryWE Country
EXAMPLE
SUPPORTERS– 789/796:
“This makes me think that as usual WE FIERY ITALIANS are always ready for an argument on the most amusing issues or out of mere principle. Something that our politicians know very well by now: one throws a “dispute bomb” and while we heatedly argue, we are tricked by a law passed at night after the news last edition”
31/03/2004
WE AgreeingWE Agreeing
EXAMPLE
CANDIDATE – 901:
“For this WE together have to imagine an open Bologna: “open” not only with respect to change and innovation, but also “open” with respect to its citizens”
10/05/2004
WE TornWE Torn
EXAMPLE
NEGOTIATORS – 611/623:
” … Dear Sergio, don’t make the same mistake done by the old left wing: neglecting those who must nevertheless live with this system which obliges you to work in a hurry and move around in order to survive. I know you are a clever and shrewd person, and you understand that it’s not enough to switch on an electronic eye to make left voters like me happy, who will vote you for this race important for you but also for US..”
01/04/2004
WE Political PartyWE Political Party
EXAMPLE
NEGOTIATORS - 703/710:
“From the 12th of March you haven’t said anything regarding peace? Is it acceptable that Italian soldiers remain in Iraq after the discovery of tortures? The man who brought 3 million workers to Massenzio and who wants to govern Bologna cannot go on keeping silent (like ALL WE LEFT WING AND DEMOCRATS are hoping)”
10/05/2004
WE BolognesiWE Bolognesi
EXAMPLE
SUPPORTERS – 643/645:
“By now half of Bolognesi and of their traditions is in the province and WE are indissolubly imbued and connected to them..”
26/03/2004
WE ListWE List
EXAMPLE
CANDIDATE – 1011/1019:
“WE realised one thing, and I believe WE have many citizens with us: the outgoing mayor announced, and he still does it, that he doesn’t want to carry out an electoral campaign, he “speaks with facts”, as he insistently repeats. Episodes like these deceiving ads show that he is not that convinced that “facts” are sufficient to persuade citizens”
03/06/2004
WE Citizens/votersWE Citizens/voters
EXAMPLE
SUPPORTERS – 814/ 818:
“Do you know the project of the escalator, do you know the breakages in the walls that WE Bolognesi have just paid …”
16/05/2004