Alternative Media, Alternative Norms?
How do social counter-movements emerge and what role do alternative media play in this process? The project examines the role of alternative media in the emergence of oppositional norms and social polarization in the context of the climate crisis.
How do social counter-movements emerge – and what role do alternative media play in this process? The project examines the role of alternative media in the emergence of oppositional norms and social polarization in the context of climate crisis.
While a large portion of the population supports measures to mitigate the climate crisis, there are also social groups that develop opposing norms of resistance to such measures – similar to what was seen most recently during the COVID-19 pandemic. The project examines the role that alternative media play in the emergence of such norms.
The study has three aims: First, it seeks to describe the prevalence of alternative media use and corresponding norms among the population. Second, it analyzes differences between traditional and alternative media in their coverage of climate norms. Third, the project examines the relationship between media use and the development of social norms in the context of climate change.
Methodologically, the study combines a three-part survey in German-speaking Switzerland with a manual and AI-supported content analysis of German-language media. The results are expected to provide new insights into norm formation in times of crisis and contribute to an understanding of societal polarization.
- Duration: 10/
2024 – 09/ 2027 - Funding Agency: Schweizer Nationalfonds
- Team:
- Principal Investigator: Prof Dr. Sarah Geber
- Postdoctoral Researcher: Dr. Janine N. Blessing
- Project Partners:
Publications:
Geber, S. (2024). Unraveling the dark side of social norms – Toward a research agenda on the challenges of social norms in health communication. Health Communication, 39(12), 2955–2962. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2023.2296190