DEN KOMPLEXA POLITIKERROLLEN - En kvalitativ studie om politikers uppfattningar om och hanterande av gränserna mellan offentligt och privat samt politiskt och personligt när de är aktiva på Twitter

Abstract

Purpose – This master’s thesis aims to contribute to increasing the knowledge of how political leaders manage their political role when they are active on Twitter by studying the boundaries between public and private, political and personal. Design/methodology/approach – This study has a qualitative approach. The author has used interviews with elements of stimulated recall to fulfill the purpose of the study. Stimulated recall is a method that makes a person relive an original situation by presenting the person with a large number of stimuli which occurred during the original situation. Findings – This master’s thesis highlights the challenges political leaders are facing when they are active on Twitter and how they manage the boundaries between public and private, political and personal. In accordance with previous research, the results of this study conclude that the boundaries between public and private, personal and political have faded. The political arena has expanded with technological developments and the exposure of politicians has increased. This development contributes to a specific attention being aimed towards the politician as an individual rather than towards the political party to which he or she belongs. This master’s thesis identifies that political leaders are managing the tension between the boundaries and the complex political role in three different ways. First, by sharing as much as possible without disclosing the innermost. Secondly, by breaking boundaries, norms and expectations, and thirdly, by beeing permanently connected. Originality/value – Previous research has not sufficiently examined how politicians manage the technological and social development that has taken place. This study identifies that political leaders are managing the tension between the boundaries and the complex political role in three different ways. First, by sharing as much as possible without disclosing the innermost. Secondly, by breaking boundaries, norms and expectations, and thirdly, by beeing permanently connected.