Authors

Sabrina A. Carr

Publication Date

Spring 2020

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Angela M. Jerome (Director), Holy J. Payne, and Helen Sterk

Degree Program

Department of Communication

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

Social movement plays an integral part in how our society makes progress and changes overtime. With the birth and adoption of digital technologies comes new and unique opportunities for social movements and social movement organizations to make further progress and accomplish its goals. This study uses the foundations of organizational identification and values advocacy to evaluate the rhetoric of a specific organization within the vegan movement, Veganuary, and shows how this organization utilizes various strategies on its social media platforms to grow as an organization over a six-year time period. Specifically, I argue that Veganuary was able to move from coalescence to bureaucratization through the use of values advocacy aimed at community-building and identification strategies, such as celebrity associations/endorsements, political engagement, and normalization.

Disciplines

Organizational Communication | Other Communication | Social Media | Speech and Rhetorical Studies

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