Brexit, incivility and digital contestation.

A key focus of my original research was how the new hostile political environment has affected people, including themes of: xenophobia, social media, citizenship, disenfranchisement and identity to illustrate people's relationships with Brexit. Furthermore, I tackled issues concerning how the role of digital technologies and contested space has impacted the migrant experience and I am encouraged to investigate this more. State narratives continually came into the focus of my research, and the PHD project: 'Brexit, Incivility and Digital Contestation', would allow me the opportunity to investigate the effects of Brexit in both offline and online worlds. Within my research I analysed how transnational Facebook communities acted to create fear within the local British migrant communities and it would be valuable to assess Facebook's influence on people's experience of Brexit further in relation to the project.

Building on the research questions outlined in the project description I wish to investigate how the circulation of narratives, imagery and statistical 'evidence' via digital social media platforms impacts people in both online and offline worlds. I know from my experience that these powerful visual and discursive messages affect people emotionally in relation to belonging and feeling "at home" in Britain. Through my research, I also understand that Facebook communities especially, incite fear in Polish migrants regarding Brexit and "Fake News" and scaremongering tactics are apparent in these online worlds. However, I also acknowledge that social media can be a source of belonging in a transnational community for migrants and additionally a vehicle to tackle the issues that the hostile political environment has made. The projects aim to generate a new knowledge about the shape and form of the digital counter-strategies to insecurity, incivility and xeno-racism is refreshing in its approach and I could add to the project by offering my existing experience and openness to new research in digital media. I hope to answer the main research questions of: How do civil society groups formulate and disseminate alternative visual and discursive messages (of acceptance, kindness, inclusivity) via digital platforms? What kind of messages succeed? And why? By engaging further with ethnographic, quantitative and qualitative research concerning European migrant communities but also with local British residents in the towns of York, Leeds and Sheffield to see how the referendum has contributed to the 'new frontiers' of anti-racist, anti-xenophobic and anti-exclusionary activity by social movements and civil society groups.

Working with the projects objectives, I hope to analyse the how these groups combat insecurity in UK society and whether this has an effect on migrant and local British communities. Investigating how new technologies work to empower those who experience and advocate against uncivil action, will be interesting in regard to local political groups and how this empowerment is experienced differently online and offline. I hope to answer further questions around the new formulations of the circulation of narratives, imagery and statistical 'evidence' via digital social media throughout my research focusing on different groups and subject areas such as: European migrant community centres, Hard-right political groups, Remain campaigners, Leave campaigners and other local communities. York, Leeds and Sheffield, are ripe areas for investigation, with their cultural diversity and extremely narrow margins for the three cities in the referendum and it will be interesting to analyse these cities regarding Brexit, incivility and digital contestation.