Affordances of Wartime Collective Action on Facebook

This paper relies on the conceptual framework of affordances to study collective action, focusing on the under-researched area of wartime collective efforts. Using the case study of collective action during the war in Ukraine, the paper analyses a sample of the most successful Facebook profiles engaging in collective action to support the military and humanitarian efforts in Ukraine and uncovers the various approaches to the organisation of collective action. The paper explores the common features and differences between activists, including approaches to presentation, user engagement, interaction, and reporting. Two groups of profiles are identified based on how they actualise Facebook affordances: organisational and individual profiles. The two groups were found to clearly differ in their approach to user engagement, posting patterns and the use of specific Facebook functions. The findings have implications regarding the organisation of collective initiatives by different actors and contribute to a better understanding of the unique challenges of wartime CA.