Land of woke and glory? The conceptualisation and framing of "wokeness" in UK media and public discourses. [Article]

Smith, David S.; Boag, Lee; Keegan, Connor; Butler-Warke, Alice

Abstract

Though the term originated in the early twentieth century, it is only recently "wokeness" has become a staple of British media discourse. Typically, the concept features in commentaries and exchanges about institutional power, censorship, minority rights/representation, and structural racism, i.e. "culture wars" discourses. Polling suggests that the public considers wokeness a threat despite lacking clarity or consensus on its specific meaning. This study addresses this ambiguity, combining an analysis of coverage in the UK press with posts on Twitter and a questionnaire, asking UK respondents to define and exemplify wokeness. All samples revealed a multi-faceted concept observed at individual, group, cultural and corporate levels. A range of positive and negative framings were found, e.g. awareness and compassion vs. weakness and puritanism. Broader narratives constructed around wokeness include aspirational traits, moral posturing, a modern secular religion, and an insurgent "woke agenda." These offer insights into how the concept is characterised and operationalised.

Citation

SMITH, D.S., BOAG, L., KEEGAN, C. and BUTLER-WARKE, A. 2023. Land of woke and glory? The conceptualisation and framing of "wokeness" in UK media and public discourses. Javnost: the public [online], 30(4), pages 513-533. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2023.2273656

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Oct 18, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Nov 27, 2023
• Publication Date: Dec 31, 2023
• Deposit Date: Oct 31, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 31, 2023
• Journal: Javnost: the public
• Print ISSN: 1318-3222
• Electronic ISSN: 1854-8377
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 513-533
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13183222.2023.2273656
• Keywords: Wokeness; Culture wars; Social media; Public discourse; Society and the press; Culture wars; Social justice; Activism
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2121332
• Related Public URLs: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/2338639 (Conference presentation)