Narrowmobilization and Tea Party Activism: A Study of Right-Leaning Alternative Media |
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| Authors: | Joshua D Atkinson Suzanne Valerie Leon Berg |
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| Institution: | 1. School of Media &2. Communication , Bowling Green State University jatkins@bgsu.edu;4. Communication , Bowling Green State University |
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| Abstract: | Past research concerning the theoretical framework of Resistance Performance (RP) has been based on observations of liberal organizations and activists. In the following essay, we engage in a qualitative content analysis of alternative media utilized by conservative “Tea Party” activists to build on the concept of RP. Overall, we discovered that the dominant theme found in much of the content focuses on “purity,” which is considerably different from past RP research that found broad themes of “human rights,” “democracy,” “be the media,” and “principles of unity” embedded within liberal alternative media content. We conclude that the theme of “purity” gives rise to narrowmobilization, which constructs very focused protest communities within right-leaning politics. |
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| Keywords: | Alternative Media Networked Activism Social Movements |
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