A social mapping of Swedish environment-focussed Facebook groups: The principles, methods and implementation of a mapping project

Abstract

Aiming to contribute to the sparse literature on social mapping methodologies, this article elaborates on the principles, procedures and research design of a social mapping project. It first demonstrates the design and implementation of a mapping project of active Facebook groups in Sweden that focus on the environment, by elaborating on the project’s mapping principles and procedures. The developed mapping methodology integrates a variety of data gathering and analysis methods (survey research, online search, big data analysis, content analysis), applying the principle of triangulation, to ensure the completeness of the mapping. It also combines small-scale and big data analysis, addressing the advantages and limitations of these methods, in the framework of the specific research. In the second part, the article gives the overview of the social map of the 152 identified environment-focussed Facebook groups, connected to Sweden, during 2019–2020, presenting their basic features, networks and environmental focal points. In their majority these groups adopt ecocentric positions towards the environment and openly critique anthropocentrism, often being connected to civil society and activist networks, concerning environmental issues and action. These findings point to the potential of coordinated environmental action, being communicated and mediated through online spaces.