Myths in visual environmental activism narratives on Instagram

 Elisenda Ardèvol, Barcelona (Spain)

 Sandra Martorell, Valencia (Spain)

 Gemma San-Cornelio, Barcelona (Spain)

https://doi.org/10.3916/C68-2021-05

Keywords

Myths, memes, activism, sustainability, Instagram, influencers

Abstract

Images are part of the communication strategies of both the hegemonic powers and political activism. Images have recently been the focus of studies on social movements, highlighting the importance of visual activism in social media. However, the relationship between these visual narratives and mythological structures and how they operate to mobilize social change has not been significantly explored. This study analyses the role of environmental activism memes on social media and how, in anthropological terms, they can be understood as myths or narratives that offer a model for perceiving, understanding, judging and acting in the world. We draw from ongoing research into eco-influencers on Instagram, taking environmental memes characterized by binary oppositions of “before” and “after” as the study subject. This contrast establishes a temporal narrative and future prediction, involving a cause-and-effect relationship and a moral judgement of our actions. We argue that, in the case of the environmental meme, the myth-based approach helps in understanding its role in articulating the cosmic, social and personal orders as it brings human action into harmony with the cosmic order while projecting its images onto the human experience.

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Fundref

This research is part of the “D-Stories” project (RTI2018-098417-B-I00 Ministry of Science and Innovation) 2019-2021.

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Technical information

Received: 27-12-2020

Revised: 04-02-2021

Accepted: 15-02-2021

OnlineFirst: 15-04-2021

Publication date: 01-07-2021

Article revision time: 39 days | Average time revision issue 68: 37 days

Article acceptance time: 50 days | Average time of acceptance issue 68: 78 days

Preprint editing time: 140 days | Average editing time preprint issue 68: 168 days

Article editing time: 185 days | Average editing time issue 68: 213 days

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