Opting for Polarizing Emotions: Strategies of Czech Pro-Vaccination Discussants in the Emotionalized Public Sphere and Debate on a Measles Epidemic

Authors

  • Lenka Vochocová Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University
  • Dino Numerato Institute of Sociological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University
  • Tereza Sedláčková Institute of Sociological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University

Keywords:

deliberation, comment sections, emotions, polarization, public sphere, vaccination

Abstract

Drawing upon a case study of a heated public online debate on vaccination related to a measles epidemic in the Czech Republic in 2019, this article’s contribution is twofold: First, it adds to recent debates about the emotionalization of the (online) public sphere, and second, it examines communication strategies of vaccination supporters. To capture the heterogeneity of the online debate, we analyzed the discussion forums of 3 mainstream online news servers. Providing observations relevant to current debates surrounding anti-COVID-19 vaccination, our data reveal that the deliberative potential of online debate concerning vaccination is undermined by the offensive nature of pro-vaccination comments. These comments tend to be uncivil, toxic, and offensive mainly due to the use of communication strategies employing destructive emotions. We conclude that by labeling their opponents and constructing dichotomies in which they associate them with individualism and irrationality, the pro-vaccination discussants contribute to further polarization of stances toward vaccination.

Author Biographies

Lenka Vochocová, Institute of Communication Studies and Journalism, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University

PhDr. Lenka Vochocová, Ph.D. (corresponding author) is a lecturer and researcher at the Department of Media Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, where she obtained her PhD in media studies. Her research interests cover the fields of online expression and political participation, mediated representations, political economy of communication, gender media studies and public sphere theories. Email: lenka.vochocova@fsv.cuni.czAddress: Department of Media Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Smetanovo nabrezi 6, 110 00 Prague 1, tel.: (+ 420) 774 922 137

Dino Numerato, Institute of Sociological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University

doc. PhDr. Dino Numerato, Ph.D. is Associate Professor at Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University, Czech Republic (FSV UK). He obtained his PhD in Sociology studied at the Masaryk University in Brno (Czech Republic). He was a Research Fellow at Loughborough University (Loughborough, UK), Bocconi University (Milan, Italy) and University La Sapienza (Rome, Italy). Dino Numerato’s principal research interests are in the areas of sociology of health and illness and sociology of sport. Recently, he has been focusing on the topic of migration.

Tereza Sedláčková, Institute of Sociological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University

Tereza Sedláčková is a doctoral candidate at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University. She is interested in the ethnography of health care. The topics she works on include embodied knowledge of patients with epileptic seizures and vaccination as medical practice.

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Published

2022-01-27

Issue

Vol. 16 (2022)

Section

Articles

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