The Quiet Part Out Loud - Conspiracy theories and the rhetoric among activists in Sweden related to the Coronavirus pandemic

Abstract

This thesis deals with a set of organized activist movements during the harshest restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic in Sweden. These groups protested both online and offline against imposed restrictions and vaccinations, displaying a critical attitude towards recommendations and restrictions such as by gathering in large crowds. The study aims to present and problematize the frameworks used by these social activist movements during their demonstrations, and to explore how initial concerns raised by the activist contained notions of anti-vaccination attitudes and signs of conspiracy theories. By collecting thirty-one images, forty-three texts, and fifteen videos (4 hours and 58 minutes) online through a qualitative nethnographical method, I have observed and analyzed how activists present themselves and are presented by others in digital environments. Their alternative understanding and opinion during the pandemic placed them at the fringe of the mainstream views on vaccinations and restrictions. The thesis draws upon the theoretical concept of stigmatized knowledge in combination with framing theory to deconstruct the framework and rhetorical organization of the covid-19 activist groups, and to show how social groups mobilize and rearrange ideas to fit their cause through a chain of frame alignments. Support for these movements within this fringe of society is found to share commonality with far-right attitudes, especially as they view their western state as the enemy and accept propaganda from actors like Russia (Vaken.se, 2022). The expression “quiet part out loud” refers to “publicly express a sentiment which one is expected to keep to oneself; to reveal an ulterior motive” (Wiktionary.org, 2020).

Abstract (Swedish)

Denna avhandling handlar om en uppsättning aktiviströrelser under de hårdaste restriktionerna i samband med Covid-19-pandemin i Sverige. Dessa grupper protesterade både online och offline mot införda restriktioner och vaccinationer och visade en kritisk inställning till rekommendationer och restriktioner, till exempel genom att samlas i stora folkmassor. Studien syftar till att presentera och problematisera de ramar som dessa sociala aktiviströrelser använde sig av under sina demonstrationer, och att utforska hur den initiala oro som aktivisterna tog upp innehöll föreställningar och attityder om anti-vaccinations samt tecken på konspirationsteorier. Genom att samla in trettioen bilder, fyrtiotre texter och femton videor (4 timmar och 58 minuter) online genom en kvalitativ netnografisk metod har jag observerat och analyserat hur aktivister presenterar sig själva och presenteras av andra i digitala miljöer. Deras alternativa förståelse och åsikter under pandemin placerade dem i utkanten av de vanliga åsikterna om vaccinationer och restriktioner. Avhandlingen bygger på det teoretiska begreppet stigmatiserad kunskap i kombination med inramningsteori för att dekonstruera ramarna och den retoriska organisationen för aktivistgrupperna i covid-19 och för att visa hur sociala grupper mobiliserar och omorganiserar idéer för att passa deras sak genom en kedja av inramningsanpassningar. Stödet för dessa rörelser inom denna utkant av samhället visar sig ha gemensamma drag med högerextrema attityder, särskilt eftersom de ser sin västerländska stat som fiende och accepterar propaganda från aktörer som Ryssland (Vaken.se, 2022). Med uttrycket "quiet part out loud" avses att "offentligt uttrycka en känsla som man förväntas hålla för sig själv; att avslöja en baktanke" (Wiktionary.org, 2020).

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

Popular Abstract

This thesis is about activists who protested the rules of social gatherings during the Coronavirus pandemic in Sweden. Because it was a challenging time for normal life and meeting people, this project was entirely made online with collections of texts, videos, posts, and images in a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software called NVivo 12. The computer program helps with sorting and categorizing any collected material and then assigning words to them, called qualitative codes, to later find patterns.
I knew from the beginning of the project that conspiracy theories would be a central part of the material and therefore it became a theoretical perspective for me to use. Another theoretical perspective common to studying activists and protesters called frame analysis was used to look at what social groups present as their messages, in what setting they do it, and how it helps them be a social group, sometimes with a group identity.
After analyzing almost five hours of videos, nearly twenty thousand words in texts, and forty images, it became clear that conspiracy theory was a large part of the activist’s worldview, but they said everything was about freedom and democracy. It did not end there, for more patterns became clear when seeing whom they socialized with and who supported them in return. Groups who did not at all support democracy were supporting these activist groups, working together at different events during the last two years.
In conclusion, what became apparent from organizing and analyzing the material was a layer of messages that could appear as common-sense arguments at first, but within those messages were conspiracy theories about the world, governments, and the Coronavirus pandemic. Within those conspiracy theories were messages of right-wing extremism, anti-democratic and hateful towards certain groups, but encrypted in their expressions. Those who expressed vaccine hesitancy could accept conspiracy theories, and then more extreme views. In the worst case, this could lead to radicalization and endorsement of violence, and at the least cause divisions and cracks in the foundation of our democratic society.

• author: Adolfsson, Felix
• supervisor: David Wästerfors
• organization: Department of Sociology; Sociology
• course: SOCM04 20221
• year: 2022
• type: H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
• subject: Social Sciences
• keywords: anti-vaccination, Covid-19, digital environments, stigmatized knowledge, democracy, far-right ideology
• language: English
• id: 9099607
• date added to LUP: 2022-09-08 10:15:26
• date last changed: 2022-09-08 10:15:26