S\'i o no, qu\`e penses? Catalonian Independence and Linguistic Identity on Social Media

TL;DR

This study quantitatively analyzes how Catalan language use on Twitter relates to political identity during Catalonia's 2017 independence referendum, revealing language's role in expressing regional identity.

Contribution

It provides new quantitative evidence on the link between linguistic variation and political identity in social media discourse, specifically regarding Catalan independence.

Findings

Pro-independence tweets more likely to include Catalan.

Catalan used more frequently in referendum discourse.

Language plays a significant role in expressing Catalonian identity.

Abstract

Political identity is often manifested in language variation, but the relationship between the two is still relatively unexplored from a quantitative perspective. This study examines the use of Catalan, a language local to the semi-autonomous region of Catalonia in Spain, on Twitter in discourse related to the 2017 independence referendum. We corroborate prior findings that pro-independence tweets are more likely to include the local language than anti-independence tweets. We also find that Catalan is used more often in referendum-related discourse than in other contexts, contrary to prior findings on language variation. This suggests a strong role for the Catalan language in the expression of Catalonian political identity.