Social media and intergroup contact during contentious episodes in divided societies: Comparative perspectives from Colombia and Northern Ireland

Dajer, D. and Reilly, P. (2021) Social media and intergroup contact during contentious episodes in divided societies: Comparative perspectives from Colombia and Northern Ireland. In: International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR 2021), Nairobi, Kenya, 11-15 July,

Abstract

This paper adds to the emergent literature on social media and intergroup contact in post-conflict societies through a comparative study of contentious episodes in Colombia and Northern Ireland. A qualitative case study approach is used to explore how online social media platforms act as ‘connectors’ and ‘dividers’ in these two societies, both of which remain deeply-divided along sectarian lines despite peace settlements being in place. Using case studies such as the UK EU Referendum and the plebiscite on the Colombian peace agreement (both held in 2016), the paper examines whether there is any evidence of the ‘agonistic pluralism’ envisaged by Mouffe (2013), where former enemies are recast as ‘adversaries’ who respectfully disagree about contentious issues. The cases show that unstructured online contact during contentious episodes was invariably antagonistic, rather than agonistic. Despite initiatives to foster intercommunity dialogue online, pre-existing ‘offline’ polarisation was mirrored and intensified by the affective publics mobilised on social media, with online disinformation and misinformation exacerbating tensions between sectarian communities.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Reilly, Dr Paul
• Authors: Dajer, D., and Reilly, P.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Politics
• Journal Name: International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) 2021 Online Conference Paper.
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced with the permission of the publisher

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