TOXICITY & SYMBOLIC VIOLENCE: A FRAMEWORK FOR STUDYING VIOLENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

Abstract

This work explores the intersection of toxicity and symbolic violence as fundamental concepts for understanding two critical dimensions of online violence: its propagation and legitimation. Drawing from Critical Discourse Analysis, we emphasize language's role in negotiating power relationships, demonstrating its significance in shaping social practices and power dynamics. Building on our previous work on gender toxicity, we investigate how toxicity becomes a form of legitimizing violent discourses.Further, we present a framework categorizing violence legitimation into "discursive structure" and "spreadable structure." Discursive structures encompass implicit and explicit violence, including humor, stereotyping, and name-calling, revealing strategies employed in violent discourse. Spreadable structures, including polarization and toxicity, explore how discourse spreads on platforms, affecting visibility and influencing dominant perspectives. The understanding of these categories requires consideration of social and infrastructural power dynamics within the online context.