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Article published In: Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict: Online-First Articles

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Hate, prejudice and conspiracy theories

The reality from the ideological perspective of Brazilian imageboard users

ORCiD logo with link | Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
ORCiD logo with link | Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Published online: 5 August 2024
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlac.00118.ber
Abstract
The Internet serves as a dynamic and expansive space where numerous groups seek to exchange and disseminate their views. Some of those groups aim to promote hateful ideologies, bigotry, conspiracy theories while externalizing their anger. To achieve this, a spectrum of online platforms is utilized, ranging from mainstream social networks to underground forums. Notably, imageboards stand out as fertile ground where these ideologies flourish, due to anonymity, community engagement, and a plethora of hateful content. This study endeavors to examine the prevalence of bigotry in these spaces within the Brazilian context. Natural language processing algorithms provide the possibility to explore discursive features of massive text sets, extracting latent information and patterns in a relatively simple and automated way. This study shows how prejudice forms the basis of the different discourses found in Brazilian imageboards. Notably, these discourses not only echo historically rooted hateful ideologies but also assimilate conspiratorial perspectives and instances of bigotry emanating from non-Brazilian imageboards.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Hateful ideologies and online hostility
    • 2.1Toxic behavior online
    • 2.2Hate speech
    • 2.3Hate on the online environment
    • 2.4The alt-right and its influence on Brazilian reactionary movements
  • 3.Exploring hate on online forums
  • 4.Data and methods
  • 5.Results and analysis
    • 5.1Discourse topics
    • 5.2Semantic similarity
      • 5.2.1Women
      • 5.2.2Queer community
      • 5.2.3Black community
      • 5.2.4Jewish people
    • 5.3Ideological views
      • 5.3.1Women
      • 5.3.2Queer community
      • 5.3.3Black people
      • 5.3.4Jewish people
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Note
  • References
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