#Rolezinhos: Social network analysis and meaning construction in twitter users’ discourses upon #ProtestodosPintas in Natal (RN)

Abstract

This paper conveys the outputs of a research developed from the analysis of Twitter’s utterances about #ProtestodosPintas, that took place in the city of Natal (RN) in December 21st, 2013. We found out that the meanings constructed in the digital social networks about #ProtestodosPintas were negative, since the network has hung around two profiles, namely @tribunadonorte and @BlogdoBG. The social network interactions under analysis occurred by stimulating a retrograde social imaginary, when the youngsters’ desires for acknowledgment were typified as an expression of violence and barbarity. The 340 tweets here collected were analyzed according to the tools proposed by social network analytical theories, as well as the utterances, based on the discourse analysis presuppositions.