Thesis title: Le dinamiche di comunicazione del veganismo nei gruppi online: un'indagine netnografica sul loro impatto nella formazione delle percezioni, delle adesioni e dei pregiudizi
The research analyzes the communicative and identity dynamics related to veganism within online communities, adopting a comparative netnographic approach between a Facebook community and an Instagram page.
The main goal is to understand how digital interactions contribute to spreading and transforming the public representation of veganism in online spaces, as well as to challenging or reinforcing the stereotypes associated with it.
The research design is based on a qualitative analysis of one hundred and fifty posts and integrates netnography with perspectives from discourse sociology, social identity theory, and the sociology of digital traces.
Thematic coding, conceptual mapping, and discourse analysis were employed to identify recurring patterns, symbolic conflicts, and forms of linguistic and cultural performativity.
Overall, the study highlights how digital platforms are not merely vehicles for opinions, but sociotechnical environments that shape identities, emotions, and practices of activism.
Finally, the thesis offers a methodological reflection on netnography as a rigorous and transformative tool for the qualitative analysis of social phenomena in online contexts.