Emergent networks of topical discourse: A comparative framing and social network analysis of the coffee party and tea party patriots groups on facebook

Abstract

In this chapter, we examine and compare the activity in the two politically focused Facebook groups, “Join the Coffee Party Movement” and “Tea Party Patriots,” from the time period immediately preceding the 2010 mid-term elections through the week following the seating of the newly elected Congress (October 25, 2010–January 12, 2011). We incorporate social network analysis of electronic trace data coupled with a framing analysis of the topics posted by the group administrators (parent posts) to provide an understanding of the agenda setting practices of administrators and subsequent discourse from the participants that occur in these two groups. Through this analysis we identify three interesting findings. First, there are shared topics of discourse that are framed differently in the two groups.