Rise Up: An Examination of White Nationalist Social Media Content and its Effect on White Americans' Collective Actions

Recent data from anti-hate organizations finds that pro-White events, propaganda, and groups are steadily increasing in the United States. Additionally, large collective actions and mass shootings that are racially motivated have become highly visible in the past few years. Given social media’s role in both influencing and acting as a platform for the far-right, its impact cannot be ignored. Across two studies, this dissertation examines the themes underlying White nationalist social media content and its influence on White Americans’ intra and intergroup relations. In Study One, a content analysis of videos from five White nationalist YouTube channels finds that outgroups are both frequently discussed and mentioned in threatening or negative ways. Additionally, these videos regularly include content that references psychological mechanisms known to increase collective action intentions in the real world. In Study Two, a cross-sectional survey finds that self-reported exposure to social media content containing references to White injustice are associated with intentions to engage in collective action to improve the status and position of Whites in American society. Further, exposure to White injustice on social media has an especially strong influence on the real-world attitudes of Democrats. These findings reflect the important role played by digital media in the rise of White nationalism in Western nations with multicultural societies.PhDCommunicationUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/169807/1/hawki_1.pd