Features of self-presentation of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg in the social network "VKontakte"

Soldatenkov Ivan Vyacheslavovich ORCID: 0000-0003-0845-603X Postgraduate student; Faculty of Political Science; St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya nab., 7-9. ivn256@yandex.ru

Introduction

One of the most significant trends of our time is global digitalization, which has a comprehensive transformative impact on society. The rapid spread of new technologies is currently a powerful driver of the development of society, which allows us to talk about the increasingly solid rooting of a new information technology paradigm ^[1]. In particular, the influence of ICT on the political sphere is becoming more and more noticeable, manifested both in the emergence of new and in the transformation of "traditional" practices of achieving and retaining power.

A significant milestone in this process is the expansion of technologies of the Web 2.0 era, which causes a change in the foundations of socio-political communication. Social media, the key characteristics of which are interactivity and openness, provide huge opportunities, allowing for "permanent campaigning, often regardless of the electoral cycle" ^[2]. At the same time, the conditions of the new communicative environment are becoming a serious challenge, prompting policy actors to transform their media strategies, and at the same time adapt the forms of presenting themselves to the audience that are most relevant for modern social platforms.

The problem of modifying the phenomenon of political self-presentation in the context of online communication, despite the growing interest of researchers in it, is currently insufficiently analyzed. In particular, an exhaustive understanding of the content of digital self-positioning strategies used by politicians at various levels has not been obtained, and the vectors of the impact of certain self-image presentation practices on the consciousness of the audience of social networks have not been determined. The purpose of this study is to identify the content features and effects of self-presentation tactics used by domestic regional parliamentarians in the process of online communication.

The theoretical basis of the study

The main theoretical premise of this study is a corpus of concepts describing the phenomenon of "self-presentation" or, synonymously, "impression management". The basic provisions of this research perspective are set out in the works of the American sociologist I. Hoffman, where self-presentation to the audience is considered as a conscious or unconscious activity of individuals aimed at structuring and controlling the opinions of others about themselves in situations of social interaction ^[3]. It is important to note the close connection of the theory of self-presentation with the symbolic–interactionist approach, which is expressed in the perception of the above-mentioned phenomenon as a form of transaction between the identity of an individual and society, which allows, on the one hand, to assert the necessary self-image in the eyes of others, on the other - to verify the "I-concept" ^[4].

Of particular importance in the context of our research is the position of the theory that self–presentation is a tool for imposing on the audience the necessary definition of the social situation - thus, the main characteristic of the noted phenomenon is manipulativeness. This aspect of the process of presenting oneself to others is considered in the studies of R. Baumeister ^[5], B. Schlenker ^[6], M. Leary ^[7], D. Meyer and A. Grant ^[8], E. Jones and T. Pittman ^[9]. At the same time, the researchers note that the desired result of the self-presentation process is achieved using a wide repertoire of behavioral strategies and tactics designed to convince the audience of the truth of the broadcast image.

The works of P. Hall ^[10], R. Fenno ^[11], K. McGraw ^[12], A. Schutz ^[13] contain the experience of applying the theory of self-presentation to the analysis of political processes. The presentation of oneself to the audience is considered by researchers as one of the components of the symbolic mobilization of support aimed at "imposing" the necessary definition of the situation, and as a result – at achieving power. In this case, self-presentation acts as an activity for the formation and management of impressions about a politician.

This activity is aimed at structuring the actions of a politician in situations of social interaction in such a way that the audience acquires the necessary perception of the complex of qualities that he possesses. In this regard, it is necessary to note the research of representatives of the political-psychological approach, clarifying the personality structure of a political actor. These are the works of D. Winter ^[14], J. Burns ^[15], K. de Landshire ^[16], O. S. Gorodnina ^[17], E. I. Smirnova ^[18], N. M. Rakityansky ^[19], I. S. Palitai ^[20], E. B. Shestopal ^[21], A.V. Selezneva ^[22]. The noted studies demonstrate that the analysis of self-presentations, along with the need to fix the expressed personal and status–role characteristics in the transmitted image, also requires taking into account the parameters of the social situation - the context within which the representation of the "I" image unfolds.

It is also necessary to note the body of research devoted to the problems of transformation of the phenomenon of identity and forms of its representation in the context of online communication. Firstly, these are the works of Sh. Turkle ^[23], L. Nakamura ^[24], Z. Papacharissi ^[25], N. Beim ^[26], A. Marvik ^[27], M. Castels ^[28], in which attention is focused on the fact that the digital environment acts as an "identity workshop", which allows to design and to present to the audience almost any image of "Me". At the same time, researchers consider online identity primarily as an adjusted copy of its "offline" counterpart or as a manifestation of an individual's real needs and desires. Secondly, it is necessary to pay attention to the research of J. Rui ^[29], M. Stefanone ^[30], E. Hollenbaugh ^[31], A. Schlosser ^[32], analyzing the features of the process of an individual's self-presentation in a digital environment. It is noted that the presentation of oneself to the audience in the framework of online communication is characterized by three features: a) users tend to demonstrate the characteristics of their personality that are correlated with real life, but at the same time tend to emphasize their positive nature with the help of tools provided by technology; b) the success of self-presentation largely depends on the content produced by other participants in online interaction (tags, comments, reposts, etc.); c) the collapse of the context motivates individuals to design eclectic images that meet the expectations of different audiences.

Currently, a body of research is being formed aimed at identifying the specifics of political figures' self-presentation in the digital environment. In this regard, the works of N. Jackson and D. Lyliker ^[33], M. Lalantset and V. Reynold ^[34], D. Steffan, J. Swanson, K. Fillimonov ^[35], G. Rodriguez and E. Perez ^[36], J. Koliander ^[37] can be mentioned. Researchers have noted the following trends: a) individualization – a tendency to demonstrate the image of the "I" outside of association with any political institutions or organizations; b) privatization - a manifestation of a focus on private life in media strategies; c) an increase in the emotionality of communication in general and broadcast images in particular.

Based on the above, the following research hypotheses can be identified:

H1. The strategies of self-presentation of politicians are most characterized by tactics aimed at a balanced representation of positive moral and professional aspects of the personality;

H2. Association with political organizations or institutions is poorly expressed in self-representations;

H3. For the identified self-presentation tactics, there are significant differences in audience response parameters.

Research design

The object of the analysis is the personal profiles of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg of the VII convocation on the VKontakte social network. The research method is qualitative content analysis in the inductive-deductive version. The unit of analysis is a post on a public page on a social network.

At the preliminary stage of the study, a sample set of profiles for analysis was determined – one representative from each faction in the legislature. The sample includes: Belsky A. N. (United Russia); Ivanova I. V. (KPRF); Itkin P. M. (LDPR); Pavlov D. G. (New People); Alekserov A. E. (SRZP); Shishlov A.V. (Yabloko). The profiles were selected according to the following criteria: firstly, the politician's occupation of a senior position in a parliamentary faction or in the leadership of a legislative body; secondly, the indicators of media activity of the profile and audience engagement during the accounting period were determined using the Popsters social media content analytics service ^[38].

The sample of publications includes 50 posts from each profile (total N = 300). The selection was made in weekly increments due to the temporal unevenness of the number of publications in profiles - from 1 to 4 per week period. The year of publication activity for each page is covered: from 03/26/2021 to 03/11/2022 (six months before and after the legislative elections). The period is defined in connection with the possible influence of the electoral cycle on the self-presentation of political figures.

The indicator system for the deductive stage of the analysis provided for fixing the presence/absence (0 or 1) in the message of variables belonging to 6 groups:

Table 1. Indicator system for the deductive stage of content analysis

The number of likes / comments / reposts / views under the publication was recorded separately.

Statistical research methods were used in the analysis of coding results: analysis of conjugacy tables; multidimensional scaling; cluster analysis; Kraskel-Wallace H-criterion.

Results

At the first stage of the study, the clustering procedure of selected observations was carried out, as a result of which 3 main groups of publications in the profiles of deputies were identified. Based on the results of multidimensional scaling, taking into account the selected clusters, a generalized configuration of the self-presentation of a deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg was obtained, R^2 = 0.83297:

Figure 1. Generalized model of self-presentation of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg of the VII convocation

The variables "citizens", "spiritual sphere", "moral qualities", "positive tonality", positive - "informative content", "professional qualities", "neutral tonality" acquired the greatest negative loads along the horizontal axis of the model. Thus, the division of tactics along the line of "emotional – pragmatic" is common for regional parliamentarians. In the course of interactions with residents of the region, which are carried out most often in the context of the spiritual sphere, politicians strive to represent a set of positive moral qualities. This is openness, sincerity, closeness to the people, attentiveness to the interests of citizens. The second direction is the emphasis on professional characteristics: experience, ability to work and efficiency. This direction is implemented through constant information about specific actions and decisions of deputies, which, as a rule, does not contain emotional coloring.

The positive pole of the vertical axis is formed by the variables "informing content", "author", "moral qualities", "positive tonality", the area of negative values is formed by the "political sphere" and "negative tonality". This configuration expresses the division of tactics along the line of "I am the Other". Within the framework of direct self–presentation, information dominates, with the main emphasis on a positive moral image. The most important indirect tactic is a negative assessment of the activities of other political actors, which emphasizes the positive image of deputies through contrast.

The analysis of clusters of variables, taking into account the results of clustering, allows us to identify 3 general groups of publications containing the main tactics of self-presentation.

The first one includes messages that act exclusively as a direct form of expression of professional qualities. This is realized through the transmission of information about the author's activities, primarily related to the problems of the social sphere. This tactic can be described as "job information". As an example, an entry on the wall of P. M. Itkin dated September 1, 2021 can be given.:

"Is everything included? Who should buy workbooks?

For several years now, the LDPR party has been insisting that the purchase of workbooks, foreign language textbooks and other manuals should be the responsibility of the budget.

This year, during the zero readings, I asked the Chairman of the city Education Committee about the purchase of benefits...

The Committee confirmed that working materials for schoolchildren should be purchased at the expense of the budget...

Together with representatives of the department, we agreed that I would collect information about those schools where parents are forced to buy workbooks. In each of the cases, the Education Committee will conduct an audit" ^[39].

The second group of messages includes indirect forms of self-presentation expressing negative emotional or analytical assessments of other political actors: executive and/or legislative authorities, as well as parties. This group can be described as a combination of "expertise and criticism of the activities of other policy actors." For example, the following publication was posted on Ivanova's page on August 10, 2021.:

"People asked to refine the wasteland in the yard… And the authorities of the Sosnovskoye Defense Ministry built a small stadium there...

Everything would be fine if it weren't for one "but". Whether out of a desire to save money or out of thoughtlessness, the municipalities surrounded the site with a chain-link fence… And for the residents of the nearby houses, the real hell began.

...now, after every hit on the net with a ball or a foot, people hear a rumble and a rumble.

The police... don't come to such calls. And how the vaunted law on silence works in St. Petersburg, we also know everything perfectly well... Municipalities pretend that they do not see the problem ...

And, probably, when carrying out landscaping, you could just THINK! Install a rigid fence or, conversely, make a grid of soft material ...

We wanted the best, but it turned out ... well, you know" ^[40].

The third cluster includes publications broadcasting the moral qualities of deputies. In this group, it is possible to note three main self-presentation components: firstly, positive interaction with residents of the region; secondly, addressing citizens in connection with significant events; thirdly, revealing the peculiarities of private life. This group of publications can be described as a synthesis of tactics of "association and solidarity with citizens during privatization." This combination, for example, is expressed in the publication of A. N. Belsky on July 27, 2021.:

"It would seem that 80 years have passed since that June morning in 1941, when the troops of Nazi Germany treacherously invaded the USSR. And it would be possible to put an end to that war. But- no! No wonder they say: "The war is not over until the last soldier is buried."

From July 29 to August 9, the annual gathering of search teams of St. Petersburg will take place in the Kirovsky district of the Leningrad region...

I would like to express my deep gratitude to all those who, over the more than 30-year history of the Memorial Watch, continue to search and help return soldiers to their families.

Our task is extremely important. It consists in ensuring that the memory of the crimes of the Nazi invaders and their victims does not disappear..." ^[41].

The frequency analysis shows that the deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg in the analyzed period most often posted publications related to the tactics of the third group (117 publications, 39%). A set of posts expressing information tactics in various variations has almost equal prevalence (113 publications, 37.7%). Publications related to the second cluster were posted the least frequently (70 publications, 23.3%):

Figure 2. Frequency distribution of self-presentation tactics in publications of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg

Thus, the deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg strive to adapt a balanced configuration of self-presentation tactics, which allows them to form an image of an effective and active politician, but at the same time able to take into account the interests of citizens in their work.

In addition to identifying the content of politicians' self-presentation strategies, attention should also be paid to the effectiveness of their components. According to the results of the application of the H-criterion, it was revealed that tactics cause significant differences in the parameters of likes and views, p<0,05:

Table 2. The results of the application of the H-criterion for self-presentation tactics of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg

Pairwise comparisons provide a more detailed idea of the differences. It was found that in the measurement of likes, the tactic of "association and solidarity with citizens during personalization" evokes a greater response in comparison with other vectors of self-presentation. In turn, "job awareness" is more significant in comparison with "expertise and criticism of the activities of other policy actors":

Table 3. Pairwise comparisons of tactics in terms of likes

Figure 3. Comparison of tactics by likes parameter

The emphasis on the positive moral profile of a politician, broadcast through direct interaction with the residents of the region or the representation of the peculiarities of private life, is the most socially approved in the perception of the audience. The reason for this may be that citizens, in the ideal image of a deputy, see, first of all, a people's representative endowed with human qualities, able to listen to the needs of voters. At the same time, the activity aspect is important, but it plays rather a complementary role in structuring the audience's ideas about politics.

A similar result is observed in the case of comparisons of tactics by the parameter of views:

Table 4. Pairwise comparisons of tactics in terms of views

Figure 4. Comparison of tactics by the parameter of views

Thus, the informal component of a politician's self-presentation also arouses much greater interest among web users, which confirms the above assumption about the most important characteristics of a deputy for voters.

Conclusions

Within the framework of this study, the features of self-presentation strategies of deputies of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg of the VII convocation on the VKontakte social network were analyzed. Typical tactics used by politicians in the process of digital communication are revealed. During the analysis, it was found that politicians strive to combine professionalizing and moralizing vectors in presenting images of themselves, which is expressed in combining tactics of informing about activities, solidarity and association with residents of the region, disclosure of private life features. An additional element is the expertise and criticism of the authorities. At the same time, information is often combined with an emphasis on positive interaction with citizens, which suggests a greater tendency to moralize images.

At the same time, it was established that deputies do not seek to associate their image with the political parties they represent. Interaction with government institutions, in turn, manifests itself only in an indirect form. This indicates a high level of personalization of politicians' media strategies.

It is also necessary to point out the low level of interactivity of politicians in the social network space. Politicians tend to post publications documenting the course of interaction with voters and other actors offline, but practically do not conduct direct public information exchange with participants in the online space in the form of responses to comments or reposts. In this regard, it is impossible to talk about a full-fledged adaptation of political actors to the logic of network media.

The analysis also revealed significant differences between tactics in performance parameters. It has been established that messages containing a moralizing vector of self-representation are more socially approved and attractive. At the same time, the combination of this aspect with a professionalizing component makes it possible to establish a closer connection with voters, consolidating a more holistic and attractive image of a politician in the minds of the audience.

Thus, the tendencies towards emotionalization, individualization and privatization of images noted in the scientific literature take place, however, as this study demonstrates, they are currently limited. Nevertheless, politicians are gradually adapting to the "rules of the game" in force in the communicative space of social networks, which indicates an increase in the scale of mediatization, covering more and more policy areas.