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Dr. Ulrike Gretzel University of Wollongong Climate change and gender: Framing and sentiment in the social media domain
Dr. Ulrike GretzelUniversity of Wollongong
Climate change and gender:Framing and sentiment in the
social media domain
Agenda-setting
Framing• Frame = central organizing idea• Issue-definition• Making certain aspects more salient than others• Mass media actively set the frames of reference that
readers or viewers use to interpret and discuss public events/issues (Tuchman, 1978)
• Frames influence opinions by stressing specific values, facts, and other considerations, endowing them with greater apparent relevance to the issue than they might appear to have under an alternative frame (Nelson et al., 1997)
Audience Frame• Cognitive structure• Schema used for interpretation
Climate Change Frames• Alarmism• Spatial frames – international issue• Lack of scientific fact, focus on human-interest
stories• Focus on extreme weather events – language of
terror leading to policy paralysis (Hulme, 2009)• Partisan issue
Social media• Definition: = a group of Internet-based
applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010).
Political Power of Social Media
Citizen media• Participatory media• Democratic media• Networks of influence
Climate change + animal x
Climate change + animal x
Climate Change + animal x
Research Question• How are issues related to climate
change/sustainability and gender conceptualized/framed by different groups/media?
Global Women Scholars Network
Climate Change and Gender Issue Space
• What is the issue space?• What are the frames?• Frames salient in different spheres
Study 1• Qualitative study of how sustainability activists
and scientists frame contributions and challenges related to a gender perspective on climate change/sustainability
• 78 respondents
Challenges for Women Leaders• It’s a men’s world• Discrimination• Stereotypes• Underrepresentation• Voices not heard• Not being taken seriously/lack of respect• Lack of access• Lack of financial resources• Lack of knowledge/education• Gender-specific roles/obligations• Lack of role models
Contributions of Women• Different perspectives:
– Time horizon– Holistic– Grounded in direct experience
• Traits• Approaches• Capabilities• Priorities• Authority• Knowledge/awareness• Strength in numbers
Study 2• Climate change and gender frames in news
media and social media sphere• Mediawatch on Climate Change• Post Rio +20 (June 2012)
Platform
Social Media Fortune 1000News
Climate Change Coverage
General Climate Change Coverage
News Media Social Media
General Issue Space & Sentiment in Social Media
Gender: News Media
Climate Change & Gender: News Media
Climate Change & Gender: News Media
Gender: Eco-NGOs
Climate Change & Gender: Eco-NGOs
Climate Change & Gender: Eco-NGOs
Gender: Fortune 1000
Climate Change & Gender: Fortune 1000
Climate Change & Gender: Fortune 1000
Gender: Social Media
Climate Change & Gender: Social Media
Climate Change &Gender: Social Media
Conclusion• Complex issue space• Clearly different frames present• Who is represented in the social media sphere?• More research needed on how frames come
about (e.g. how influential is social network, attendance of specific meetings, etc.)
