A1 Journal article (refereed)
Formen deutscher und finnischer zivilgesellschaftlicher Gegenredeinitiativen in sozialen Medien
 (2023)
Forms of German and Finnish civil society counterspeech initiatives on social media

Ylönen, S. (2023). Formen deutscher und finnischer zivilgesellschaftlicher Gegenredeinitiativen in sozialen Medien
. Zeitschrift für Interkulturellen Fremdsprachenunterricht, 28(2), 289-311. https://doi.org/10.48694/zif.3819

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Ylönen, Sabine

Journal or series: Zeitschrift für Interkulturellen Fremdsprachenunterricht

eISSN: 1205-6545

Publication year: 2023

Publication date: 06/10/2023

Volume: 28

Issue number: 2

Pages range: 289-311

Publisher: Universitäts- und Landesbibliothek Darmstadt

Publication country: Germany

Publication language: German; English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.48694/zif.3819

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/89634

Abstract

As the fifth estate, social media creates new opportunities for participation in civil society which are considered to have great potential for democratisation. On the other hand, they also pose risks to democratic societies, as the spread of hate speech and disinformation has shown. As social media rapidly develops, legislation and the expansion of law enforcement resources inevitably lag behind. Moreover, not all hate speech and democracy-threatening discourses are punishable nor do they always contradict the community standards of the platforms. Counterspeech from civil society can improve the tone in the comment sections of social media and help educate readers about scientifically recognised facts. In this contrastive study, I examined whether there are cultural-bound differences in attitudes towards counterspeech. In addition to semi-ethnographic participatory observations from two German and two Finnish counterspeech initiatives, over a thousand of their postings were collected for a systematic analysis of their communicative strategies. Culture-bound differences in attitudes towards counterspeech can be assumed, among other things, due to different motives for the founding of the initiatives (systematically planned vs. spontaneous), their management (hierarchical or heterarchical), and their social esteem (granted or missing awards and media presence). Counterspeech was defined as a reactive or proactive response from civil society to the normalisation of brutalised language and discourses that threaten democracy. This study also demonstrates that counterspeech initiatives can be action-oriented or discussion-oriented. In any case, they offer peer support and collaborative learning opportunities. Humour serves as a valve, and humorous counterspeech initiatives attract followers and members in both countries.

Keywords: civil society; social media; attitudes; communication; public discussion; cultural dependence; Germans; Finns

Free keywords: civil society counterspeech initiatives; culture-bound attitudes; action and discussion-oriented counterspeech initiatives

Contributing organizations

Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2023

JUFO rating: 2