Uncivil online environments, anger at political out-groups, and strengthened preferences for in-groups

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dc.contributor.advisorLiu, Amy H.
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWeyland, Kurt
dc.creatorDwyer, Alexander Frank
dc.creator.orcid0000-0003-4651-1116
dc.date.accessioned2019-03-04T18:00:13Z
dc.date.available2019-03-04T18:00:13Z
dc.date.created2018-12
dc.date.issued2019-02-06
dc.date.submittedDecember 2018
dc.date.updated2019-03-04T18:00:14Z
dc.description.abstractHow does the Internet shape relations between political factions within society? This paper argues that free use of the Internet by politicians, organizations and ordinary citizens for political discourse and activity contributes to the aggravation of hostility between political factions within society, and to the strengthening of citizen preferences for political in-groups over out-groups. Online political interactions lack the constraints against transgressive discourse that are present offline, affording participants wider latitude to engage in rhetoric ranging from impoliteness to calls for violence in the course of political debates. Citizens’ exposure to such conduct from political opponents breeds anger towards out-group members and a stronger relative preference for the in-group. I utilize survey data from Tunisia 2016, finding evidence that use of the Internet increases the probability that Tunisian Islamists and secularists feel strong anger towards their political opponents and identify more strongly with their own faction.
dc.description.departmentGovernment
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/2152/73530
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.26153/tsw/680
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectInternet
dc.subjectPolarization
dc.subjectPolitical discourse
dc.subjectOnline political discourse
dc.subjectPolitical factions
dc.subjectPolitical faction hostility
dc.subjectPolitical in-groups
dc.subjectPolitical out-groups
dc.subjectTransgressive discourse
dc.subjectOnline conduct
dc.subjectOnline incivility
dc.titleUncivil online environments, anger at political out-groups, and strengthened preferences for in-groups
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.materialtext
thesis.degree.departmentGovernment
thesis.degree.disciplineGovernment
thesis.degree.grantorThe University of Texas at Austin
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Arts

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