Narratives Promoting Collective Action in YouTube's Discourse on Plant-Based Diets

Core Concepts

Certain narrative types used in YouTube videos promoting plant-based diet challenges, such as those advocating social fight and freedom of choice, are associated with a stronger sense of collective action in the respective comments.

Abstract

The study examines the narratives used in YouTube videos promoting plant-based diet challenges like Veganuary, Meatless March, and No Meat May, and their relationship with public engagement in collective action.
Key highlights:

The study operationalizes an existing theoretical framework of moral narratives specific to the vegan movement and maps it to the narratives found in the YouTube video transcripts.
Videos whose narratives promote social fight, either in the form of protesting or attempting to convert others to the cause, tended to attract reactions characterized by a more frequent presence of linguistic markers that hint at collective action.
These videos, along with those emphasizing freedom of choice, demonstrated the highest levels of semantic consistency across creators, and the highest semantic alignment between the video transcript and the respective comments.
An increased frequency of mentions of collective action in video reactions was significantly associated with a smaller size of the crowd of commenters, a greater content coherence of a video within the reference narrative cluster, and a higher frequency of linguistic markers expressing loyalty, a moral dimension that characterizes narratives about social fight, freedom of choice, and duty to educate others through inspirational examples.

Stats

"Spanish startup creates 3D printed vegan meat. An Italian bioengineer at a Spanish startup claims to have invented the world's first vegan steak made using 3D printing technology..."
"I'm Matthew Glover, I'm the co-founder of Veganuary... we started it in 2013 we've had four campaigns now. In the first year January 2014 we have 3,300 people taking part and we've been doubling in size or slightly more..."
"...which is why we started this campaign a couple of months ago so um this is an example of a protest we're doing, all of our protests are not quite as destructive as this one..."
"In the afternoon of August 26th 2011, we decided to stop paying other people to kill animals for us to eat... We decided to stop exploiting animals for clothing, entertainment, testing, and all other purposes..."
"Being a vegan bodybuilder is really tough. If you're one or want to become one, my hat is off to you because it's really tough..."
"I'm not a vegan. Look, man, I'm really proud of you. Cause going vegan is not something that I could do. You make it seem so simple as if I could choose..."
"Hey this is Ryan of happy healthy vegan. So I just got back results for my latest blood test and I'm gonna share with you right now my testosterone levels..."
"If you've ever had a conversation with a vegan, especially if the vegan is someone you're close to, you know that things can get heated pretty quickly..."

Quotes

None

Key Insights Distilled From

Narratives of Collective Action in YouTube's Discourse on Veganism

by Arianna Pera... at arxiv.org 03-29-2024

https://arxiv.org/pdf/2401.09210.pdf

Deeper Inquiries

How can the insights from this study be applied to design more effective communication strategies for other types of environmental and social movements beyond plant-based diets?

The insights gained from this study can be applied to design more effective communication strategies for a wide range of environmental and social movements. By understanding the relationship between narrative types and public engagement, organizations can tailor their messaging to resonate with their target audience. For example, identifying narrative types that elicit strong collective action responses can help in crafting compelling stories that inspire action. Additionally, analyzing the semantic coherence and alignment between content and audience reactions can guide the development of more impactful communication strategies. By leveraging these insights, organizations can create narratives that foster a sense of community, promote shared values, and drive meaningful engagement in various environmental and social causes.

How can the potential risks and ethical considerations in using computational methods to analyze and potentially manipulate online narratives and public engagement be addressed?

The use of computational methods to analyze online narratives and public engagement comes with potential risks and ethical considerations that need to be addressed. One key risk is the potential for bias in the data or algorithms used, which can lead to misleading conclusions or reinforce existing stereotypes. To mitigate this risk, researchers should ensure transparency in their methodology, carefully consider the limitations of their data sources, and actively work to reduce bias in their analyses.
Ethical considerations include the responsible handling of personal data, ensuring the privacy and consent of individuals whose online interactions are being analyzed, and avoiding the manipulation of narratives for malicious purposes. Researchers should adhere to ethical guidelines and standards, such as obtaining informed consent, protecting user privacy, and maintaining the integrity of the data. Additionally, it is essential to consider the potential impact of the research on individuals and communities, and to prioritize the ethical implications of the findings.

How can the relationship between online narratives and offline collective action be further explored and validated through interdisciplinary research combining social science theories and computational techniques?

Exploring the relationship between online narratives and offline collective action through interdisciplinary research can provide valuable insights into the dynamics of social movements. By combining social science theories with computational techniques, researchers can analyze large datasets of online interactions to identify patterns, trends, and correlations that may influence offline behavior.
One approach is to conduct longitudinal studies that track the evolution of online narratives and their impact on real-world outcomes over time. By integrating qualitative analysis of narratives with quantitative data from online platforms, researchers can gain a comprehensive understanding of how online engagement translates into offline actions.
Furthermore, interdisciplinary collaboration can help in developing predictive models that forecast the potential impact of different narrative strategies on collective action. By leveraging computational tools for sentiment analysis, network analysis, and natural language processing, researchers can uncover hidden patterns and dynamics in online discourse that may influence offline behavior. This holistic approach can enhance our understanding of the complex interplay between online narratives and offline collective action, leading to more effective strategies for social change.