Woolf, Isaac (2025) Consensus in Activism? Co-constructed Group Political Identity in Food Not Bombs: A Linguistic Analysis of Stance. Masters thesis, York St John University.

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Abstract

This study investigates the role of linguistic stance in co-constructing group political identity within the Food Not Bombs (FNB) activist organization. Using a variety of stance
analysis frameworks on transcribed data from a semi-structured focus group interview with three members of a local FNB group, the research examines how participants
position themselves and others in the context of mutual aid activism. The findings reveal that stances, particularly through the use of epistemic certainty, irony, and
backchanneling, are crucial in negotiating power dynamics and maintaining group cohesion. Speakers employ strategies of upgrading or downgrading stances to establish
equilibrium in status and maintain harmonious relationships. Irony and reporting, often used for humour, serve as tools for positioning, evaluating, and modifying the group's
political identity, emphasizing resistance to capitalism, war, and discrimination. The analysis highlights the informal, non-hierarchical nature of FNB, where mutual aid and inclusivity are central to its identity, yet there are underlying disagreements on smaller topics concerning the group, or even frictions within individual’s beliefs. However, contrasting ideas are allowed to exist in the conversation without compromising the emergence of a group political identity. Participants also express a desire for a more politically articulated stance. Overall, the study underscores the significance of the linguistic practices of stancetaking in shaping the collective political identity of
grassroots activist groups.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Status:	Published
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > P Philology. Linguistics
School/Department:	School of Education, Language and Psychology
URI:	https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/id/eprint/15050

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