Moral transgression and the emergence of new meanings in online discussions: from condemnation to bullying

This article attempts to examine how users of virtual network communities react to violations of existing norms and values, what meanings they attach to immoral acts and how they assume the functions of public control. The empirical base of the study was user comments on a particular case of the burning of the Russian flag in Saransk, presented in one of the city's public. In total, we analyzed 955 messages, there have been four waves of online discussions.

The results suggest that the burning of the Russian flag for most users is a traumatic event. It was sanctioned as a threat to public ideals of good. Network discussions have become a center of attraction for those who want to feel the evil on themselves, triggering a schismogenetic chain of events. Gradually the attackers and victim were reversed, as the first actively used by cyber-bullying. In justification of their act, political and ideological meanings were incorporated, which, obviously, were not originally laid down. Attempts to speculate with collective historical memory are recorded, which also affect the discussion.

It is concluded that urban network communities are already the embodiment of monitor democracy. This democracy brings us closer to the ideals of civil society. But it requires external regulation due to as lack of culture of discussion of conflict situations and generation of new senses, which can be about constructing a destructive fake news.

Keywords

moral transgression, social media, network discussions, critical discourse analysis

Acknowledgment

The reported study was funded by RFBR, project number 19-011-00082 «Norm-creating in Morality, Law and Religion».

Received

29.08.2019

Publication date

10.03.2020

Number of characters

24412

Cite

GOST	Ushkin S. Moral transgression and the emergence of new meanings in online discussions: from condemnation to bullying // Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya – 2020. – Issue 1 C. 65-73 [Electronic resource]. URL: http://ras.jes.su/socis/s013216250006339-5-1-en (circulation date: 22.07.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013216250006339-5
MLA	Ushkin, Sergey "Moral transgression and the emergence of new meanings in online discussions: from condemnation to bullying." Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya 1 (2020):65-73. DOI: 10.31857/S013216250006339-5
APA	Ushkin S. (2020). Moral transgression and the emergence of new meanings in online discussions: from condemnation to bullying. Sotsiologicheskie issledovaniya (1), pp.65-73 DOI: 10.31857/S013216250006339-5

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 1708

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Alexander J. C. (2013). The meanings of social life: a cultural sociology. Moscow: Praxis. (In Russ.).

2. Bauman Z. Retrotopia. Moscow: WCIOM. (In Russ.).

3. Bauman Z., Donskis L. (2019а). Moral blindness: the loss of sensitivity in liquid modernity. St. Petersburg: Ivan Limbach Publishing House. (In Russ.).

4. Bauman Z., Donskis L. (2019b). Liquid evil: life in a world where there are no alternatives. St. Petersburg: Ivan Limbach Publishing House. (In Russ.).

5. Berger P. L. (2019). The sacred canopy: elements of a sociological theory of religion. Moscow: New literary review. (In Russ.).

6. Boltanski L., Teveno L. (2013). De la justification: les economies da la grandeur. Moscow: New literary review. (In Russ.).

7. Jorgensen M., Phillips L. (2008). Discourse analysis: as theory and method. Kharkiv: Humanitarian center. (In Russ.).

8. Keane J. (2015). Democracy and media decadence. Moscow: Publishing house of the Higher school of economics. (In Russ.).

9. Kurakin D. Yu. (2011) Eluding sacred: ambiguity of the sacred and its importance for the «strong program» in cultural sociology. The Russian Sociological Review. Vol. 10. No. 3. pp. 41–70. (In Russ.).

10. Nikolaenko G. A., Fedorova A. A. (2017). Non-reactive strategy: unobtrusive methods of gathering sociological information in Web 2.0 age — evidence from digital ethnography and Big Data. Sociology of Power. Vol. 29. No. 4. pp. 36–54. (In Russ.).

11. Orwell G. 1984. Moscow: AST, 2017.

12. Sorokin P. Crime and Punishment, Service and Reward: A Sociological Study of the Basic Forms of the Social Behavior and Morals. Moscow: Astrel, 2006.

13. Sztompka P. Social change as a trauma. Sociological studies. 2001. No. 1. pp. 6–16. (In Russ.).

14. Andelic N., Sigurdardottir S., Schanke A.K., Sandvik L., Sveen U., Roe C. (2010). Disability, physical health and mental health 1 year after traumatic brain injury. Disability and Rehabilitation. Vol. 32. No 13. 1122–31.

15. Fairclough, N. (1989). Language and Power. London: Longman.