Visual Polarisation: Instagram’s Role in Shaping Collective Identities. The case of 2023 General Elections in Spain
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Abstract
Political polarisation plays a significant role in digital contexts, especially on visually oriented platforms like Instagram. During election campaigns, political actors craft emotional visual narratives to intensify affective polarisation, fostering allegiance among supporters and hostility toward opponents (Iyengar, Sood and Lelkes, 2012). This article examines the strategic use of visual affective polarisation on Instagram by Spain's main political parties and leaders during the 2023 general elections. A quantitative content analysis was conducted on N=668 visuals posted on official Instagram profiles during the two-week campaign period. The study focuses on how political actors used visual strategies to convey ideologies, mobilize supporters, and engage in negative campaigning against opponents. Findings indicate that Instagram was employed to mobilize voters through polarisation strategies, such as symbolic resources that reinforced collective identities. Politicians projected positive images to strengthen support while simultaneously promoting emotional divisions via attacks on opponents. Notably, visuals targeted political leaders more than parties or ideologies. Differences emerged in how political parties and leaders utilized these tactics. This study enhances understanding of visual communication in politics, shedding light on how social media fosters polarisation through affective and strategic visual narratives.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
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Universitat Jaume I
Grant numbers COST Action DepolarisingEU CA22165
References
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