Doing It for the ‘Gram? Politicians’ Social Group Representation on Social Media

• In Event: Group Representation and Experiences on Social Media

Abstract

In previous work (paper published in Politics & Gender, March 2023; paper R&Red with Representation in 2023), I have argued that we must complicate how we think about the functions of descriptive representation. We often attribute advocacy for historically marginalized groups to officeholders who are viewed as group members, and they are called descriptive representatives. However, this account rarely includes the officeholder’s own views on and performance of their group membership(s). A burgeoning literature on self-presentation examines the significance of public figures’ self-presentation, including how they are received. I splice this into a novel framework for understanding the relationships between descriptive and substantive representation. I examine politicians’ self-presentation and its correspondence with group interests for which they advocate, theorizing that candidates who are not widely received as members of historically marginalized groups may nonetheless _ perform _ the descriptive representation that is widely expected to go with substantive representation.
For APSA 2024, I propose to present an empirical application of this framework to a sample of Instagram posts by three U.S. politicians: Senator Edward Markey (a generationally unexpected social media user), Representative Maxwell Frost (GenZ, man of color MC), and Representative Cori Bush (GenX, woman of color MC). What social groups do these politicians present themselves as members of, and how is this related to the political interests for which they advocate?

Author

• Christina Xydias, Bucknell University