Equalization of disputes or reproduction of inequalities? The use of Facebook by female candidates for federal deputy from Sao Paulo in 2018

Abstract This article examines whether the use of Facebook tools in election campaigns mitigates or reproduces structural socioeconomic inequalities that candidates experience in society. We monitor the use of Facebook during the 2018 election campaign to specifically understand whether and how this social media was used by candidates for the post of federal deputy for São Paulo. From a database with more than 55 thousand posts from 465 candidates, we incorporate an intersectional look at the multiple identities of these women and correlate their social markers (socio-occupational stratum, educational level, age and race/color) with the use of Facebook during the election campaign. The results of the quantitative analyzes show that, instead of equalizing pre-existing socioeconomic inequalities, this social media ended up reproducing them throughout the campaign.

摘要 本文旨在探讨选举竞选活动中使用脸书（Facebook）工具，究竟是缓解还是再生产了候选人在社会中面临的结构性社会经济不平等。我们对2018年选举竞选期间的脸书使用情况开展监测，以明确圣保罗州联邦众议员职位的候选人是否以及如何使用该社交媒体平台。本研究依托包含465位候选人发布的5.5万余条帖文的数据库，针对这些女性候选人的多重身份采用交叉性分析视角，并将其社会标识（社会职业阶层、受教育水平、年龄及种族/肤色）与竞选期间的脸书使用行为进行关联分析。定量分析结果表明，该社交媒体非但未能消解既有的社会经济不平等，反而在整个竞选周期中延续了此类不平等状况。