Comparative Data Analysis in Political Aesthetic Strategies: The Persuasive Propaganda of the Italian Populist Right on Facebook and Twitter

AHRC: Erica Capecchi: AH/ r012776 /1我将在Globalink交换计划期间开展的研究，为我的博士项目提供了一个中心部分，该项目通过分析极右翼民粹主义政党在政治传播方面发展的美学和修辞策略，来质疑和探索极右翼民粹主义政党获得的高水平支持。这项工作特别关注社交媒体平台，以及这些通信技术在当今社会作为当前社会政治辩论的战场所发挥的关键作用。我的博士研究使用美学方法来分析当今激进右翼运动及其在流行社交媒体渠道（尤其是Facebook和Twitter）上传播的复杂性。我正在研究社交媒体上极右翼传播的潜力，通过操纵视觉和语言来影响线上和线下的公共辩论，旨在创造情感参与的形式，并解决社会行为，以动员追随者和支持者。在我访问湖首大学期间，我将收集和分析从极右翼演员的Facebook和Twitter页面绘制的重要数据，这些数据将连接到我围绕支持极右翼民粹主义组织的社会，政治和文化基础的解释的论点。主要关注的是意大利，它被认为是过去十年中极右翼民粹主义组织从边缘到主流崛起的一个有趣但研究不足的例子。通过关注社交媒体传播，我的项目将艺术和人文学科的传统研究方法与社交媒体理论和数据分析结合起来，以开发一种跨学科的方法，从多方面和创新的角度来研究当今社会的问题和挑战。我的研究将由Vijay Mago教授（计算机科学）和Lakehead大学DaTALab的研究人员指导。在这个实习中，我希望获得数据挖掘和数据分析的基本技能，这将使我了解准确的社交媒体调查的发展过程，并应用于当今社会复杂的政治问题的解释。我将培养一套独特的研究技能，这将有助于扩大我作为研究人员的专业领域，并在国际和跨文化环境中促进我作为学术和专业人士的职业发展。

AHRC: Erica Capecchi : AH/R012776/1The research that I will develop during the Globalink exchange scheme informs a central part of my doctoral project which interrogates and explores the high levels of support achieved by far-right populist parties through an analysis of aesthetic and rhetorical strategies developed by these organisations in terms of their political communication. A particular focus in this work is placed on social media platforms and the crucial role that these communication technologies play in today's society as battlegrounds of the current socio-political debate. My doctoral research uses an aesthetic approach to analyse the complexities of today's radical right movements and their communication on popular social media channels, especially Facebook and Twitter. I am looking at the potential of far-right communication on social media to influence both online and offline public debate through the manipulation of visuals and language aimed at creating forms of emotional engagement and addressing social behaviours to mobilise followers and supporters.During my visit to Lakehead University, I will collect and analyse essential data drawn from Facebook and Twitter pages of far-right actors that will connect to my arguments around the interpretation of the social, political and cultural basis of support for far-right populist organisations. The main focus is on Italy, which is considered an interesting and under-researched example of the rise of far-right populist organisations in the last decade from the margins to the mainstream. By focusing on social media communication, my project brings together traditional research methodologies in the arts and humanities with social media theory and data analysis in order to develop an interdisciplinary approach to the investigation of today societies' issues and challenges from a multifaceted and innovative perspective.My research will be supervised by Professor Vijay Mago (Computer Science) and researchers of DaTALab at Lakehead University. During this placement, I hope to gain fundamental skills in data mining and data analysis that will allow me to understand the process for the development of accurate social media investigations as applied to the interpretation of complex political issues of today's society. I will develop a set of unique research skills that will contribute to expanding my area of expertise as a researcher and enhance my career development as an academic and professional within an international and cross-cultural environment.