Failure to Launch: An Augmented Thick Description of #womenswave
L. Corinne Jones: University of Central Florida
Ideological Strength
Besides condensing an argument, #blacklivesmatter also demonstrates other characteristics that are essential for agitative groups to be successful. Notably, it has high levels of potential membership due to what Bowers et al. (2010) refer to as ideological strength (169). Bowers et al. (2010) claim that an important feature of ideological strength is logical consistency
As demonstrated in my qualitative results and in my quantitative resultsthough, #womenswave indexed a wide array of issues. This is not always a bad thing and can help people who sympathize with one cause become aware of other causes. However, if women sympathize with one cause (like the ERA) but do not sympathize with another cause to which a hashtag has become attached (like gun legislation), then using that hashtag becomes logically inconsistent, and lessens #womenswave’s ideological strength and potential membership.
Logical Consistency
"involves the unity and coherence of beliefs within a value system. In other words, it is a measure of the internal validity among beliefs” (Bowers, et al, 2010, 168).
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