Grounded Normative Theory: Methodological Considerations on Visual Data and Communication During the California Wildfires, 2020–2021

Abstract

Visual data is extremely mutable and open to interpretation, meaning that narratives located in and communicated through visual imagery on social media are contested. Their meaning is always in flux with some actors, notably social movement actors, attempting to ascribe particular narratives to visual images, and harness visual images to advance certain worldviews and arguments. This chapter uses the case of the California wildfires in 2020/2021 to explore how normative theory is grounded in empirical results and the tensions that arise when the data emerges from social movements attempting to shape narratives to supports their claims. It centers on the role of “facts” in the development of theory by drawing from the actions and discourse produced by actors on social media. By broadening and deepening the range of ideas, interests, and actors involved in anthropogenic climate change and visual communication, this chapter unearths previously hidden knowledge and facts, revealing narratives and discourses which inform societal understanding of climate crisis and extreme weather events such as wildfires.