cartography of research on hate speech discourses
TRANSCRIPT
Cartography of research on hate speech discourses (misogyny) in the Spanish
Manosphere (2019-2021)
Prof. Charo LACALLEUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona
1
Premises
• The Spanish feminist movement use to lack institutional ties and visibility
• Two interrelated events in 2018 changed the Spanish feminism movement history:
• The 8th March 2018 women’s strike• The court sentence -in April 2018- to “La
Manada” [The Wolfpack]
2
Social impact
“La Manada” case gave such visibility to the Spanish feminist movement to the extend of positioning itself as a political subject (Calvo, Díez Garrido & Bandera López, 2020).
• The massive social response led the youngest generations to disconnect feminism from its institutional side, identifying it as a political movement and as organised activism (Larrondo, Morales Gras & Obegozo Terradillos, 2019).
3
Political impact• The strike and “La Manada”’s case lead the
centre-right and right parties to reframe their gender discourses (Campillo, 2019)• President Pedro Sánchez• Appointed a majority female cabinet • Created Ministry of Equality • Carried out a bunch of legislative measures
related to paternity leave, childhood education, etc.• Allocated a budget for a State Pact against
Gender Violence
• In 2021, a Protocol to combat online hate speech was launched
4
Spanish research on online misogyny• The main body of the research focalizes on
social networks, particularly in Twitter• Matamoros Fernández & Farkas, 2019 criticizes
“The lack of platform diversity”
• Why Twitter?• High participation of political and institutional
actors • Massive & quickly dissemination of messages
through retweets and mentions• Greater accessibility of data
“The very nature of Twitter encourages users to have public conversations and share their thoughts with others” (https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/research/2018/03/online-violence-against-women-chapter-1/)
5
#YoNoTeCreo vs #YoSiTeCreo
• Nuñez Puente & Fernández Romero (2019) describe the struggle between online misogyny and feminist activism in Spain to compete for the discursive space on social media
• #YoNoTeCreo hashtag acted “as an example of agentive victimhood […] equating individual demands and collective struggles through visibility, affect and spectacularization”
• This two oppositional hashtags are a leading most of the feminist vs misogynistic confrontations since 2018 (e.g.: #Rocioyonotecreo, 2021)
6
Qualitative research
• Identifies and analyzes the most relevant characteristics of the Manosphere misogynistic discourses
• Samples too small to be representatives
• Molpeceres Anáiz & Filardo-Llamas (2020): 200 tweets (strike 8M March 2018, #Huelgafeminista and 100 Wolfpack sentencing, #laManada)
• Calvo, Díez Garrido & Bandera López (2020) 623 tweets from the organizers of 8M 2019 Madrid demonstration (@FeminismosMad)
• Villar-Aguilés & Pecourt Gracia (2021), 295 tweets generated around the 8M 2019 celebrations (#STOPfeminazis)
7
Quantitative research (content analysis)
• Increasing size of samples
• Quantitative• Nuñez Puente, D’Antonio Maceiras & Fernández Romero (2019), Twitter (8M,
2017), #8M & #NiUnaMenos, 20.000 tweets• Larrondo, Morales Gras & Obegozo Terradillos (2019), 290,989 tweets
published by 168,014 users of four hastags (#Cuéntalo, #HermanaYoSíTeCreo, #NoEstasSola y #YoSiTeCreo between April 26th and August 30th 2018)• Piñeiro-Otero & Martínez Rolán (2021) one year messages from 50 famous
Spanish women accounts; 511.587 tweets: 302.790 direct interactions and 208.797 mentions from is followers
• Quantitative + qualitative• Gutiérrez Almazor, Pando Canteli & Congosto (2020). 477,792 tweets April 26-
29, 2018, 3 days of concentrated activity by 154,764 users + 255 tweets (#Cuentalo)
8
Qualitative research (cultural studies)
• Analysing the accounts of LGBTQ+ (women) influencers
• Araüna, Tortajada, Willem (2019), 31 videos by four Spanish LGBTQ+ influencers (Dulceida, Yellow Mellow, Andy Asadaf, Devermut)• Villacampa Morales, Fedele & Aran-Ramspott (2021) 3 videos x 6 profiles of
Spanish LGBTQ+ influencers Dulceida and Yellow Mellow
• Scope and strategies of antifeminist cyber violence • Crosas Remon & Medina Bravo (2018), comments on the video Why I’m… a
feminist by the American YouTuber Laci Green (2014)
9
Qualitative research (semiotic-discursive analysis)
• Bernárdez Rodal, Requejo Rey & Franco (2020) explore hate speech on Instangram, 237 posts from VOX account
• Characteristics of VOX misogyny• Simplistic and Manichean argumentations
• Good/evil axis• Sensationalism of the messages
• “Attacks to manhood and traditions”• Redundancy
Díez-Garrido, Renedo FarpónCano-Orón (2021) evidence the high degree of misinformation in broadcast channels and the unofficial group of Telegram in Vox (2019 campaign)
10
VOX leader Santiago Abascal
https://www.eljueves.es/vinetas/15-tipos-usuario-forocoches_1675
11
750.000 members
Vict
imism
(Bur
buja
.info
)
12
Manosphere’s misogynistic discourses
• Nuñez Puente, D’Antonio Maceiras & Fernández Romero (2019)
• “Lack of discussions or debates”• “Men are also abused by women”
• “Larrondo, Morales Gras & Obegozo Terradillos (2019)
• “Feminism is an oppressive movement against men” • “The ideological left behind feminisms makes a biased movement” • “The arbitrary position of feminists on different court cases demonstrates
their prejudice”
13
Concludingy remarks• Ambivalence of social networks, where popular
feminism and diversity coexists with extreme misogyny
• Anonymity increases visibility? / Anonymity enhances misogyny?
• The two preferred targets of hateful messages are immigrants and women (Plaza-del Arco, Molina-González, Ureña-López, Martín-Valdivia, 2020)
• Spanish feminism turn• Growing degree of polarization and politization
(Larrondo, Morales Gras & Obegozo Terradillos, 2019)• The backlashers operate a tight community whose
discourses are increasingly aligned with right-wing policies (Gutiérrez Almazor, Pando Canteli & Congosto, 2020; Lacalle, Martín & Etura,2021).
14
Grazie della vostra attenzione!!!
Charo LacalleUniversitat Autònoma de Barcelona
15