oices of unknowledge: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Brazilian anti-vaccine movements on Facebook

un análisis crítico del discurso de los movimientos antivacunas brasileños en Facebook

Abstract

This article aimed to analyze the speeches of the anti-vaccine movement in Brazil, published on the social network Facebook, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three Facebook communities were monitored in the period between 2020 and 2022, consistent with the COVID-19 pandemic. Communities were selected based on their identification with the anti-vaccine movement and made up of more than 200 participants, selecting posts that contained words or texts contrary to vaccination. The text excerpts were analyzed according to the Critical Discourse Analysis method (CDA). The results pointed to posts with a combination of distrust of science, conspiracy theories and appeals to individual freedom. The anti-vaccine discourse was based on speeches, as a form of validation, with a recurrent violent tone. The study highlighted the lack of reliable information for the population to counter the unscientific discourse on social networks and the importance of more effective health communication strategies, which consider the social and cultural dimensions of society, in addition to educational initiatives that interrupt the credulity of individuals in statements without credit in science.