Disentangling uncivil and intolerant discourse in online political talk

Rossini, P. (2019) Disentangling uncivil and intolerant discourse in online political talk. In: Boatright, R. G., Shaffer, T. J., Sobieraj, S. and Young, D. G. (eds.) A Crisis of Civility? Political Discourse and Its Discontents. Routledge: New York, NY, pp. 142-157. ISBN 9781138484429 (doi: 10.4324/9781351051989-9)

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Abstract

This chapter takes up the popular argument that much online discussion is toxic and necessarily harmful to democracy. It offers a more nuanced theory by disentangling uncivil from intolerant discourse, arguing that the former should be understood as a rhetorical act that is not in itself problematic, and that the latter is the true threat to democracy. This framework allows scholars to understand the extent to which online discussions represent an actual threat to democratic pluralism and equality. The validity of this theoretical model is demonstrated in the context of public comments in a wide range of political news in two different platforms—news websites and social media in Brazil. The analysis demonstrates that incivility and intolerance can be meaningfully distinguished and suggests that incivility might be normalized in online political talk, but expressions of intolerance are rare. Moreover, the results also show that incivility is a rhetorical act often directed at politicians and political parties, indicating that people express themselves with antinormative intensity to demonstrate their dissatisfaction with the political sphere, rather than to offend other participants in a discussion.

Item Type:Book Sections
Status:Published
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Rossini, Dr Patricia
Authors: Rossini, P.
Subjects:J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
Publisher:Routledge
ISBN:9781138484429
Published Online:01 March 2019
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