Fandom and Polarization in Online Political Discussion

This book takes an innovative fan studies approach to investigating one of the most pressing issues of contemporary times: polarization. Drawing on three years of observational data from Facebook political discussions, as well as interviews and survey responses from those heavily engaged in online political debate, Barnes argues a fan-like investment in a political perspective initiates and drives polarization. She calls on us to move beyond the traditional Habermasian approach to political discussion, which privileges the rational and deliberative, and instead focus on how we perform the self. How we behave in these online debates is part of a performance, a performance of self, in which an affective investment in a particular political perspective drives a need to contribute, refute and 'other' those opposing. Because this performance stems from an emotional basis, judgments and contributions are often not rational or factual, but rather a form of establishing and defending an identity.

Employs fan studies to examine the dynamics of online polarization Examines the role of identity performance in online political discussion Outlines the implications of an affective investment in a political perspective

Autorentext

Renne Barnes is senior lecturer in Journalism at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Australia.

Inhalt

Introduction.- Part 1 The missing link: Fandom and anti-fandom and polarized political discussion.- Chap 1 Polarization and online debate: Getting down in the muck.- Chap 2 - Fan studies and polarization: Finding the fan and anti-fan.- Part 2: Fandom, politics and online debate.- Chap 3 Fandom fuelling polarized behaviour: Loving to hate.- Chap 4 Can we debate away the hate?.- Part 3 Anti fandom and the rise of the fake news phenomenon.- Chap 5 'Fake news', polarization and anti-fandom.- Chap 6 - Examining the use of the fake news label in online political discussion: Believing the fake:.- Chap 7 Conclusion.