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Chapter 4. “Go ahead and ‘debunk’ truth by calling it a conspiracy theory”

The discursive construction of conspiracy theoryness in online affinity spaces
  • Pilar Garcés-Conejos Blitvich und Nuria Lorenzo-Dus
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Conspiracy Theory Discourses
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch Conspiracy Theory Discourses

Abstract

To help fill in the research gap on conspiracy theorizing online (Varis 2019), this chapter addresses two research questions: the discursive construction of conspiracy theoryness in online affinity spaces (Gee 2005) and the extent to which these discursive constructions are aligned with those previously identified by extant literature, which has traditionally taken a top-down, macro-level perspective, as defining of conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories are essentially social constructs (Butter and Knight 2016). To our knowledge, research to date has not examined how notions of what counts as a conspiracy theory are shaped in a bottom-up manner as knowledge, identities, and associated practices that are subjected to discursive struggle. Online affinity spaces, such as those provided by Reddit and YouTube and in which conspiracy theories are regularly discussed, give us unprecedented access to this process. Our analysis shows how the discursive construction of knowledge is crucially related to the concept of truth and how, contrary to common representations, conspiracy theories are seen – from an emic perspective – as stemming from rationality, reasoning, and deployment of an (albeit sui generis) scientific method. Although committed to knowledge activism, conspiracy theories in our data display a manifest proclivity for eudaimonic and social variables and lean strongly towards the depiction of the agents’ identity (both human and non-human) against whom conspiracy theorists relationally construct who they are.

Abstract

To help fill in the research gap on conspiracy theorizing online (Varis 2019), this chapter addresses two research questions: the discursive construction of conspiracy theoryness in online affinity spaces (Gee 2005) and the extent to which these discursive constructions are aligned with those previously identified by extant literature, which has traditionally taken a top-down, macro-level perspective, as defining of conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories are essentially social constructs (Butter and Knight 2016). To our knowledge, research to date has not examined how notions of what counts as a conspiracy theory are shaped in a bottom-up manner as knowledge, identities, and associated practices that are subjected to discursive struggle. Online affinity spaces, such as those provided by Reddit and YouTube and in which conspiracy theories are regularly discussed, give us unprecedented access to this process. Our analysis shows how the discursive construction of knowledge is crucially related to the concept of truth and how, contrary to common representations, conspiracy theories are seen – from an emic perspective – as stemming from rationality, reasoning, and deployment of an (albeit sui generis) scientific method. Although committed to knowledge activism, conspiracy theories in our data display a manifest proclivity for eudaimonic and social variables and lean strongly towards the depiction of the agents’ identity (both human and non-human) against whom conspiracy theorists relationally construct who they are.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. Chapter 1. Conspiracy theory discourses 1
  5. Part I. Conspiracy theories
  6. Chapter 2. A corpus-driven exploration of conspiracy theorising as a discourse type 25
  7. Chapter 3. Is my mobile phone listening to me? 49
  8. Chapter 4. “Go ahead and ‘debunk’ truth by calling it a conspiracy theory” 71
  9. Chapter 5. “You want me to be wrong” 99
  10. Chapter 6. Fake conspiracy 121
  11. Part II. Conspiracy theory-related communicative phenomena
  12. Chapter 7. Exploring the echo chamber concept 143
  13. Chapter 8. “If you can’t see the pattern here, there’s something wrong” 169
  14. Chapter 9. Complementary concepts of disinformation 193
  15. Chapter 10. COVID-19 conspiracy theories as affective discourse 215
  16. Part III. Social media and conspiracy theories
  17. Chapter 11. The ID2020 conspiracy theory in YouTube video comments during COVID-19 241
  18. Chapter 12. #conspiracymemes 267
  19. Chapter 13. The New World Order on Twitter 295
  20. Part IV. Stancetaking and (de-)legitimation within conspiracy and anti-conspiracy discourses
  21. Chapter 14. Expressing stance towards COVID-19 conspiracy theories in Macedonian online forum discussions 319
  22. Chapter 15. Ideologies and the representation of identities in anti-vaccination conspiracy theories 343
  23. Chapter 16. Collective identities in the online self-representation of conspiracy theorists 365
  24. Part V. Political and international dimensions of conspiracy theories
  25. Chapter 17. Anti-Sorosism 395
  26. Chapter 18. “These cameras won’t show the crowds” 421
  27. Chapter 19. From strategic depiction of conspiracies to conspiracy theories 443
  28. Chapter 20. “Gender ideology” and the discursive infrastructure of a transnational conspiracy theory 465
  29. Epilogue. Beyond discourse theory in the conspiratorial mode? 489
  30. Notes on contributors 495
  31. Index 505
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.98.04gar

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Acknowledgements ix
  4. Chapter 1. Conspiracy theory discourses 1
  5. Part I. Conspiracy theories
  6. Chapter 2. A corpus-driven exploration of conspiracy theorising as a discourse type 25
  7. Chapter 3. Is my mobile phone listening to me? 49
  8. Chapter 4. “Go ahead and ‘debunk’ truth by calling it a conspiracy theory” 71
  9. Chapter 5. “You want me to be wrong” 99
  10. Chapter 6. Fake conspiracy 121
  11. Part II. Conspiracy theory-related communicative phenomena
  12. Chapter 7. Exploring the echo chamber concept 143
  13. Chapter 8. “If you can’t see the pattern here, there’s something wrong” 169
  14. Chapter 9. Complementary concepts of disinformation 193
  15. Chapter 10. COVID-19 conspiracy theories as affective discourse 215
  16. Part III. Social media and conspiracy theories
  17. Chapter 11. The ID2020 conspiracy theory in YouTube video comments during COVID-19 241
  18. Chapter 12. #conspiracymemes 267
  19. Chapter 13. The New World Order on Twitter 295
  20. Part IV. Stancetaking and (de-)legitimation within conspiracy and anti-conspiracy discourses
  21. Chapter 14. Expressing stance towards COVID-19 conspiracy theories in Macedonian online forum discussions 319
  22. Chapter 15. Ideologies and the representation of identities in anti-vaccination conspiracy theories 343
  23. Chapter 16. Collective identities in the online self-representation of conspiracy theorists 365
  24. Part V. Political and international dimensions of conspiracy theories
  25. Chapter 17. Anti-Sorosism 395
  26. Chapter 18. “These cameras won’t show the crowds” 421
  27. Chapter 19. From strategic depiction of conspiracies to conspiracy theories 443
  28. Chapter 20. “Gender ideology” and the discursive infrastructure of a transnational conspiracy theory 465
  29. Epilogue. Beyond discourse theory in the conspiratorial mode? 489
  30. Notes on contributors 495
  31. Index 505
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Heruntergeladen am 1.10.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1075/dapsac.98.04gar/html
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