The logic of collective historical knowledge among social media users in political conflicts: the case of the Odesa incident of May 2, 2014, and beyond

• In Event: Disinformation and the Ukraine War: Historical and Cross-Cultural Approaches

Abstract

The paper offers a micro-sociological approach to analyzing the logic of social media users in relation to a difficult episode in the context of a multi-level political conflict. The key case for analysis is the formation of collective knowledge about the tragic incident in Odessa on May 2, 2014, which is one of the key topics in Russian pro-war rhetoric. The paper discusses the conceptual model's implications for gaining a better understanding of the historical context of the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war since 2022.

Author

• Aleksei Titkov, U of Manchester (UK)