TY - JOUR
T1 - Britain first and the UK Independence Party
T2 - Social media and movement-Party dynamics
AU - Davidson, Thomas
AU - Berezin, Mabel
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Mobilization.
PY - 2018/12
Y1 - 2018/12
N2 - Social movement scholars have recently turned their attention to the interactions between political parties and social movements, but little is known about how social media have impacted these relationships, despite widespread adoption of these technologies. We present a case study of the relationship between Britain First, a far-right anti-Muslim social movement, and the U.K. Independence Party, the Eurosceptic political party that spearheaded the Brexit campaign. The movement appeared marginal in the press but it dominated social media, using this presence to support to the party. We examine the dynamics of the relationship between these groups from 2013 until 2017, drawing upon data from social media, newspapers, and other online sources, and focusing on interactions between elites and rank-and-file supporters. Our findings illustrate how far-right groups have used new technologies to generate an unprecedented amount of popular support and to attempt to influence the political mainstream.
AB - Social movement scholars have recently turned their attention to the interactions between political parties and social movements, but little is known about how social media have impacted these relationships, despite widespread adoption of these technologies. We present a case study of the relationship between Britain First, a far-right anti-Muslim social movement, and the U.K. Independence Party, the Eurosceptic political party that spearheaded the Brexit campaign. The movement appeared marginal in the press but it dominated social media, using this presence to support to the party. We examine the dynamics of the relationship between these groups from 2013 until 2017, drawing upon data from social media, newspapers, and other online sources, and focusing on interactions between elites and rank-and-file supporters. Our findings illustrate how far-right groups have used new technologies to generate an unprecedented amount of popular support and to attempt to influence the political mainstream.
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U2 - 10.17813/1086-671X-23-4-485
DO - 10.17813/1086-671X-23-4-485
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85059765783
SN - 1086-671X
VL - 23
SP - 485
EP - 510
JO - Mobilization
JF - Mobilization
IS - 4
ER -