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Shaping of Realities Online: A Thematic Analysis of How Digital Activism Shapes Identity and Perceptions in War
Swedish Defence University.
2025 (English)Independent thesis Advanced level (degree of Master (Two Years)), 20 credits / 30 HE creditsStudent thesis
Abstract [en]

Over the past decades, digital activism has benefited from the internet and social media platforms as a tool to influence and mobilize the public in social movements. On October 7th, 2023, the Israel – Hamas War began, and extensive information sharing and social media campaigns around the world were conducted. This thesis applies previous research on mediatization and digital activism to explore how social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram can shape online perceptions of the Israel-Hamas War through emotional impressions. The study conducted a single case qualitative thematic analysis of social media posts from pro-Palestinian digital activists and their comment sections. The findings showed that personalized content elicited emotions like anger, gratitude, and hope. Fostering a shared belief that the war in Gaza is unjust and further shows the global neglect of Palestinians and distrust of international organizations. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of how social media serves as a space for shaping collective understandings of conflicts.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2025. , p. 56
Keywords [en]
digital activism, social media, Israel – Hamas war, emotions, collective identity, conflict perceptions
National Category
Peace and Conflict Studies
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:fhs:diva-13756OAI: oai:DiVA.org:fhs-13756DiVA, id: diva2:1964530
Subject / course
War Studies, Thesis
Educational program
Master's Programme in War and Defence
Uppsok
Social and Behavioural Science, Law
Supervisors
Examiners
Available from: 2025-06-05 Created: 2025-06-05 Last updated: 2025-09-29Bibliographically approved

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CiteExportLink to record
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Citation style
  • apa
  • harvard-cite-them-right
  • ieee
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Language
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  • en-GB
  • en-US
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  • nn-NB
  • sv-SE
  • Other locale
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Output format
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  • text
  • asciidoc
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