Page 187 - Demo

English Summary185EIn policy controversies, the meaning-making by visualisations on the Internet and social media is increasingly influential. Visualisations shape the perception of a policy problem and solutions and influences public opinion and governance. The phenomenon of giving meaning to a policy issue by (using) visualisations remains understudied. This dissertation fills this gap by investigating online visualisations in controversies over energy and food technologies. These controversies are particularly noteworthy because innovation in the energy and food domains can contribute to sustainable development. Despite this promise, innovative technologies may spark controversies. In this dissertation the following question is answered: What meanings do visualisations convey in policy controversies over energy and food technologies?An interpretive approach is taken to answer the research question. Three aspects of meaning-making by visualizations in a policy controversy were further conceptualized and empirically studied: (1) Visualization type and content, (2) Narrative and (3) Circulation. The visualisation type (map, cartoon, photo) raises specific expectations and hence contributes to the effect it has. The content of the visual (what is in the visual: trees, cars) can be studied to reveal what meaning is addressed to the policy controversy through the visual. When studying narratives of the visualizations, we studied their connotative level. This process of meaningmaking is about the visual signs – the ideas, concepts and metaphors – that are attached to them. These can be studied and compared to widely accepted conventions. As objects constructing narratives, similar to text, visualisations can form online publics in the form of discourse and sentiment coalitions. When conceptualizing circulation, I studied how visualisations, especially digital ones, can be used at different sites (Internet, Twitter) by different accounts or actors. Circulation can change the meaning that specific visualisations or a visual network give to an issue.The empirical chapters of this thesis study multiple cases: the controversies about hydraulic fracturing for shale gas extraction (‘fracking’), food processing and nanotechnology in food and food packaging. The data in each chapter consists of text and visualisations found on webpages or tweets and the research protocol is specified for each empirical chapter.Efrat.indd 185 19-09-2023 09:47