Militantisme numérique et usage identitaire des réseaux sociaux dans le cadre du référendum d’autodétermination de la Nouvelle-Calédonie
Digital Activism and Identity-Based Use of Social Networks in the Context of the New Caledonian Independence Referendum

Summary/Abstract: In the context of the referendum in New Caledonia under the Nouméa Accords, the representatives and leaders of the pro-independence parties are dealing with both field activism and that of the television platforms and social networks. However, in the context of New Caledonia's digital transition, the differences in technological equipment and socio-economic inequalities lead to power relationships between independentists and non-independents according to the appropriation of digital technology by the militants. The analysis of the digital communication on Facebook of the political parties, the week before the 2020 referendum, shows an increase in digital interactions among independentists since 2018 on the one hand, and a discourse with cultural and religious attributes on the other hand, where the "self" is erased in favour of the community belonging. This study thus examines the potential of Facebook to correlate on-line expression with militant expression on the terrain, reinforcing the visibility of the pro-independence community collective with the constraints of accessibility to digital equipment and visibility of this group in the traditional media space.

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