Multimodal Analysis of the Trad-Wife Community on TikTok

• Thesis title in Czech: Multimodální analýza Trad-Wife komunity na TikToku
• Thesis title in English: Multimodal Analysis of the Trad-Wife Community on TikTok
• Key words: TikTok, Krajní pravice, Trad-Wives, Multimodální analýza, On-line komunita
• English key words: TikTok, Far-Right, Trad-Wives, Multimodal analysis, On-line community
• Academic year of topic announcement: 2022/2023
• Thesis type: diploma thesis
• Thesis language: angličtina
• Department: Department of Security Studies (23-KBS)
• Supervisor: Mgr. Jonathan Collins
• Author: hidden - assigned by the advisor
• Date of registration: 12.06.2023
• Date of assignment: 12.06.2023
• Date and time of defence: 29.01.2025 09:00
• Venue of defence: Areál Jinonice, B329, 329, seminární místnost IPS
• Date of electronic submission: 05.01.2025
• Date of proceeded defence: 29.01.2025
• Opponents: prof. PhDr. Emil Aslan, Ph.D.

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Preliminary scope of work

Tato diplomová práce analyzuje Trad-Wife komunitu na platformě TikTok, se zaměřením na její narativy a jejich propojení s ostatními krajně pravicovými online komunitami, a tím i s ideologií krajní pravice jako takové. Výzkum se zabývá dvěma klíčovými otázkami: Jaké jsou hlavní charakteristiky Trad-Wife komunity na TikToku a jak se její narativy shodují s ostatními krajně pravicovými online komunitami? V rámci výzkumu byla využita kvalitativní metodologie, konkrétně multimodální analýza celkem 136 TikToků, která zkoumala jak obsah videí, tak jejich vizuální stránku. Teoretický rámec poskytla teorie sociální identity (Social Identity Theory, SIT), která umožnila zkoumat skupinovou identitu a dynamiku, zatímco koncept online komunit usměrnil výzkum směrem k analýze pěti konkrétních aspektů komunit, a to konkrétně: identity, přesvědčení, hodnot, norem a cílů. Výsledky výzkumu naznačují, že Trad-Wife komunita přispívá k mainstreamingu některých narativů krajní pravice, zejména skrze komunikaci antifeministických a tradičních hodnot zdůrazňujících stereotypní genderové role. Tato zjištění jsou obzvláště významná s ohledem na popularitu TikToku, zejména mezi mladší generací, která je náchylnější k ideologicky motivovanému obsahu.

Preliminary scope of work in English

This thesis analyses the Trad-Wife community on TikTok, focusing on its narratives and their alignment with other Far-Right on-line communities and, therefore with the Far-Right ideology as a whole. The research addresses two key questions: What are the main characteristics of the Trad-Wife community on TikTok, and how do its narratives align with other Far-Right on-line communities? A qualitative methodology was employed, including a multimodal analysis of 136 TikToks, examining both the content as well as the aesthetics of the videos. Social Identity Theory (SIT) provided the theoretical framework to explore group identity and dynamics, while the concept of online communities guided the analysis of identity, beliefs, values, norms, and goals. Findings of the research suggest that the Trad-Wife community contributes to the mainstreaming of some of the Far-Right narratives, especially through anti-feminism and traditional values emphasizing stereotypical gender roles. This is significant due to TikTok’s popularity, especially among the younger generation, which is more susceptible to ideologically driven content.