Rhetoric as resistance leadership in the ‘buen vivir’ global movement: Framing on social media collective utopias inspired by nature to challenge the status quo

Abstract

Environmental activists and social movements worldwide have directed different forms of resistance toward an unsustainable and unfair model of development based on limitless growth and continuous exploitation of natural resources and people. For these processes of resistance, using the Internet has been key in creating a global discourse and consciousness of environmental activism and collective action. Drawing from the resistance leadership and the social movement literature, this paper offers an overview of the environmental movement for the global ‘Buen Vivir’ that originates in Latin America and their struggle against environmental degradation and climate change. Implementing a content analysis of the movement’s social media, this study focuses on the role of rhetoric and framing as tools for resistance. Three main findings emerged after analyzing the data: (1) Framing injustices for enhancing global environmental consciousness; (2) Framing solutions for imagining possibilities inspired by nature; and (3) Framing a rationale for unfolding collective action and building networks. This paper contributes to the resistance leadership literature, bringing new insights and further knowledge of how people can effectively resist and challenge the status quo using rhetoric and framing through social media platforms.