Narratives of Anti-Vaccination Movements in the German and Brazilian Twittersphere: A Grounded Theory Approach

• DOI: 10.17645/mac.v10i2.5037
• Publication Date: 2022-05-26T09:29:44Z
• Authors: Adriana Da Rosa A...; Anna-Katharina Jung; Lea-Marie Braun; Beatriz Blanco
• Keywords: Misinformation; Pandemic

Since February 2020, the world has been facing a global pandemic of SARS-CoV2 virus. All over world, people have urged to take protective measures. It is hoped that implementation widespread vaccination campaigns will defeat in long term. While many are eager be vaccinated against Covid-19, other voices population highly critical and measures, circulating much misinformation on social media. The movements opposing response measures heterogeneous, including right-wing groups, spiritualists who deny science, citizens with existential fears, those equate loss individual freedom. This study aims map compare media communication anti-vaccination defy cohesion circulate online Germany Brazil. By following grounded theory approach suggested by Webb Mallon (2007), we coded content from opinion leaders Twitter extended narrative analysis methodology finding different narratives were mapped within inhomogeneous movements. results show both countries’ main very similar, but difference stems Brazil’s stronger politicization vaccines.