More Than Just a Buzzword—Mapping the Evolution of Research on Cancel Culture in Social Sciences

Abstract

The study investigates the phenomenon of cancel culture within social sciences from 2016 to 2023. Utilizing a scientometric perspective, it analyzes the evolution, themes, and visibility of academic publications on cancel culture. The research employs cocitation and keyword co-occurrence analyses using CiteSpace and VOSviewer based on data extracted from the Scopus database. The main findings reveal a significant increase in research volume starting in 2021, particularly influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. Five major thematic clusters are identified: deplatforming, cultural conflicts, intersections (politics, philosophy, and popular culture), racism and repercussions, and celebrities. Key influential works and authors, such as Rogers and Gillespie, are highlighted for their substantial citation impact. The study concludes that cancel culture is a complex, interdisciplinary field, continually evolving with significant scholarly interest and diverse research areas.