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ID: 172243

Islamist communities on VKontakte: identification mechanisms and network structure / Myagkov, Mikhail (et.al)

Myagkov, Mikhail (et.al)	Journal Article
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Summary/Abstract

This article examines the presence of extremist online communities on the Russian social network VKontakte following the tightening by Russian federal аuthorities of internet counter-extremism policies and censorship. Extremist communities were detected using linguistic markers for extremist attitudes and radical violence. The study of socio-demographic data and network metrics of Islamist extremist communities reveals some general tendencies in the Russian context: a majority of female participants, a highly decentralised community network structure, radical Salafism as the mainstream ideology and covert proselytisation through the discussion of Islamic theology and lifestyle issues that are not in themselves extremist.

Key Words

Russia ; Network Structure ; Extremist ; Vkontakte ; Islamist Communities ; Identification Mechanisms

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ID: 114947

Role of social networking sites in civic activism in Russia and / Gladarev, Boris; Lonkila, Markku

Lonkila, Markku	Journal Article
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2012.

Summary/Abstract

This essay compares the role of the social networking sites, Facebook in Finland and Vkontakte in Russia, in organising civic activism. It is based on data collected about two successful campaigns mobilised by local residents against urban building projects in St Petersburg and Helsinki in 2009. Though in both cities these sites were important channels for transmitting information and organising and coordinating the campaigns, their role was clearly limited in terms of impartial, democratic discussion of the issue of common concern: the sites were rather used to build and reinforce emerging collective identities and to create consensus within the movement. In contrast to the situation in Helsinki, Vkontakte also had a central role in creating and maintaining ties between formerly isolated campaigns against building projects elsewhere in St Petersburg, thereby helping to build a 'network of grassroots resistance' in the city.

Key Words

Russia ; finland ; Facebook ; Social Networking Sites ; Vkontakte ; Democratic Discussion

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