Communicative Inequalities in Online Political Discussion: A Study of Discussion Forums from 54 Societies
28 Pages Posted: 18 Feb 2016
Date Written: August 1, 2015
Abstract
The present study examines political discussion forums from 54 societies and links communicative inequality to features of cultural traditions, value orientations, and political systems. Results show that inequalities among discussion threads in attracting readers’ attention and responses exist in all discussion forums. Most of the discussion threads received a small number of views and replies while only a fraction of them became popular. Most importantly, we found that communicative inequalities in online political discussion forums are subject to cultural and political influences at the societal level. Discussion threads received relatively more equal treatment in democracies, individualistic cultures, low power distance cultures, and yet less rational societies.
Keywords: Communicative inequality, political discussion, participation inequality, attention inequality, discussion forums
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