From the global myth to local mobilization: Creation and resonance of Greta Thunberg’s frame

Abstract

In 2019 the climate movement experienced an unprecedented growth in its mobilization capacity and its political and media impact. This success is closely linked to the rise of Greta Thunberg and her global impact, as well as to the organization effort of “Fridays for Future” in hundreds of local groups around the globe. This paper studies the connection between these two elements based on the movement frame analysis and its dissemination on social media. Through an analysis of the activists’ speeches and social media messages, Greta's key role in the establishment and evolution of a new frame for the climate movement can be seen. This is reinforced and legitimized with her own personal story told through the hero's journey or monomyth. Then, the inclusion and adaptation of Greta's frame in the local group of “Fridays for Future” in Barcelona based on the content analysis of its publications on Twitter and Instagram will be analyzed. The results show how, despite the reluctance regarding personified leadership, Greta's frame has a significant influence on the discourse of the local movement and on the “Fridays for Future” Barcelona’s social media followers. The analysis also provides empirical evidence of the relevance of glocal dynamics in online social movements. En 2019 el movimiento climático da un paso adelante sin precedentes en su capacidad de movilización e impacto político y mediático. El éxito del movimiento está muy vinculado tanto a la figura de Greta Thunberg y su impacto global, como a la implantación de «Fridays for Future» en centenares de ciudades de todo el mundo. Este artículo analiza la relación entre estos dos elementos a través del análisis del marco del movimiento y su diseminación en redes sociales. En concreto se muestra, a través del análisis de los discursos y mensajes en redes sociales de la activista, el papel clave de Greta en el establecimiento de un nuevo marco del movimiento climático y cómo este se refuerza y legitima con su propia historia personal contada a través del arquetípico viaje del héroe o monomito. A continuación, se analiza la incorporación y adaptación del marco Greta en las redes sociales de «Fridays for Future» Barcelona a través del análisis de contenido de sus publicaciones en Twitter e Instagram. Los resultados muestran cómo, a pesar de las reticencias a la personalización del liderazgo, existe una destacada influencia del marco global de Greta en el discurso del movimiento local y en el impacto en sus seguidores. Además, el análisis aporta evidencia empírica de la relevancia de las dinámicas glocales en los movimientos sociales en el entorno online.

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