Digital Echoes of a Movement: Analyzing the Evolution of the WomanLifeFreedom Movement through Hashtag Analysis

This research investigates the digital activism surrounding the WomanLifeFreedom (WLF) movement on X (formerly Twitter), a significant socio-political uprising in Iran following the death of Mahsa Amini in September 2022. The study analyzes the use of the hashtag #MahsaAmini and co-occurrence hashtags along with it to understand the movement's dynamics, geographical spread, and evolving discourse. Observing in nine months of the movement, I tracked 270,000 tweets, to map engagement and identify key co-occurring hashtags. Findings reveal five primary frames within the movement: Tactics and Mobilization, Regime Change, Global Solidarity & Support, Activism, and Women's Rights. The analysis underscores the pivotal role of hashtags in Iranian protests, demonstrating how protesters strategically organized collective actions before the regime's repressive actions. Despite the central slogan 'WomanLifeFreedom' and the movement's origins in the death of a 22-year-old girl, my findings show that the movement not only focused on women's rights but mainly advocated for broader political transformation. This study highlights how social media has unified and mobilized diverse groups against systemic oppression in Iran. It illustrates the Iranian populace's strong desire for change and emphasizes the critical role of digital platforms in contemporary movements for democracy and human rights, particularly in authoritarian contexts.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Arts

Level thesis:degree_level

Master's Degree

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Goli, Maryam

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• File, Patrick

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Yun, Gi
• Felts, Todd
• Holbrook, Mia

Language dc:language.iso

en_US, English

Repository record dc:identifier.uri

https://scholarwolf.unr.edu/handle/11714/11122

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarwolf.unr.edu:11714/11122