Environmental Mobilizations Through Online Networks: An Analysis of Environmental Activism on Turkey’s Twittersphere

Authors

  • Burak Doğu Izmir University of Economics
  • Hayriye Özen Izmir University of Economics
  • Begüm Pasin Izmir University of Economics

Keywords:

environmental activism, network analysis, Twitter, Turkey

Abstract

This study explores and elucidates the nature and dynamics of environmental activism mediated via Twitter in Turkey. Drawing on the Twitter data, we show that two different forms of environmentalism are being pursued on this platform. There is, on the one hand, mainstream environmentalism of relatively established actors, and, on the other, confrontational/critical environmentalism of new actors. Unlike the former, the latter politicizes environmental issues to its full extent. While the actors pursuing mainstream environmentalism tend to act individually and use Twitter rather as a broadcast platform, the actors of confrontational/critical environmentalism form connections, interact, and engage in concerted action to voice environmental concerns, thereby incubating an environmental movement on Twitter within the increasingly authoritarian Turkish context. Our findings suggest that Twitter performs highly different functions within the same context depending on the discourses, identities, and interests of environmental actors.

Author Biographies

Burak Doğu, Izmir University of Economics

Burak Doğu, Assoc. Prof.burak.dogu@ieu.edu.trIzmir University of Economics, Department of New Media and Communicationhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-1153-5911

Hayriye Özen, Izmir University of Economics

Hayriye Özen, Prof. Dr.hayriye.ozen@ieu.edu.trIzmir University of Economics, Department of Sociologyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5476-176X

Begüm Pasin, Izmir University of Economics

Begüm Pasinbegum.kozer@ieu.edu.trIzmir University of Economics, Department of New Media and Communicationhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7646-2904

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Published

2022-10-29

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Section

Articles