Virtual space and social media studies

Virtual space and social media studies

Instagram Activism Among Animal Advocates: A Bourdieusian Perspective on Field and Capital

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Elham Karimi 1
Mehri Bahar 2
1 Department of Communication Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Communication Studies Faculty of Social Sciences University of Tehran. Tehran. Iran(Corresponding Author)
10.22083/cssms.2026.552283.1079
Abstract
Today, Instagram, as one of the most popular platforms, has provided a significant socio-cultural field for the study of emergent forms of social activism. The realm of animals, whether from the perspective of advocating for them or confronting population growth and its resulting harms, is one of these emerging and widely discussed arenas of the present era. In this research, we strive to study the processes of legitimization, credibility acquisition, and symbolic capital generation of two popular Iranian animal welfare bloggers, “Sajjad Nadimi” and “Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei,” and to compare their differing operational dynamics within the Instagram field. These two individuals were chosen due to their follower counts and their significant differences in cultural and social capital, despite sharing a common objective. Our analysis was conducted using a directed qualitative method, employing Bourdieu’s theoretical framework (field and capital), as a pre-existing theory helped focus on our research questions. Therefore, data from the pages of these two activists, including posts, stories, images, and hashtags, were collected over a ten-day period, aligned with the research questions, and analyzed until theoretical saturation was reached. The main codes were based on Bourdieu’s concepts, and the sub-codes or sub-categories were predominantly organized based on data recurrence. The main research questions are: How are cultural, social, and economic capital acquired and consolidated in the Instagram field, and what processes lead to the production of symbolic capital and increased social influence for these two bloggers compared to other competitors? We also addressed prominent techniques, capital transformations, and the consequences of their activism.
Findings show that Bourdieu’s classic capitals within the Instagram animal advocacy field have primarily been represented in the form of digital and visual capital. “Narrativization,” “Creating distinction,” “Dichotomization,” and “Legitimation and De-legitimation” were among the most important techniques for activating symbolic capital, which led to increased visibility and the attraction of material and moral support from audiences.
In a general view, the social and cultural capitals employed in “Sajjad Nadimi’s” activism, both explicitly and implicitly, often denoted Iran, Iranian society, and its culture and laws. Nadimi largely derives his symbolic legitimacy and credibility from globally recognized cultural capital. For the salvation and improvement of animals, he seeks solutions and activism outside of the local context, rather than structural interventions. In contrast, Tabatabaei, through an ethical-religious lens, attempts to critically analyze the structural and cultural conditions of the country concerning animal rights, presenting it through reliance on religious and jurisprudential teachings. The symbolic capitals of these individuals, accumulated in the form of digital capital, have been influenced by the traditional capitals of these two individuals in the real world. In fact, capitals in this field are in constant conflict. For example, the duality of love-suffering manifests as symbolic capital for the activist; that is, it creates the symbolic capital of compassion and salvation or hero-making. The accumulation of digital capital for these individuals in the form of likes and comments has led to charitable contributions from users and other virtual interactions. Furthermore, the field of action for these two individuals, both from the Instagram field and from the activists themselves, includes limitations on narration and also causes the absence of other narratives.
We have also used the term “meta capital” by Nick Couldry to explain some other limitations of the blogging field. He uses this term to refer to the power of media and its influence on other fields. Therefore, animal activists, like other players in the Instagram field, are compelled to pay attention to both the rules and capital of the Instagram field itself, as well as its trans-border rules to influence other fields such as cultural development and policy-making.
Keywords
Keywords: Animal advocacy
Symbolic capital
Philanthropic action
New media
Subjects
Almiron, N., Cole, M., & Freeman, C. P. (2018). Critical animal and media studies: Expanding the understanding of oppression in communication research. First Monday. https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v23i3.9010
Annaki, F., Ouassou, S., & Igamane, S. (2025). Visibility and influence in digital social relations: Towards a new symbolic capital? African Scientific Journal, 3(29), 796-812. DOI:10.48550/arXiv.2505.08797
Bottero, W. (2009). Relationality and social interaction. Sociology, 43(3), 489-506. ‌‌https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-4446.2009.01236.x
Bourdieu, P. (1986). The forms of capital. In J. G. Richardson (Ed.), Handbook of theory and research for the sociology of education (pp. 241-258). Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. DOI:10.1002/9780470755679.ch15
Caruana, L. (2020). Different religions, different animal ethics? Animal Frontiers, 10(1), 8-14. https://doi.org/10.1093/af/vfz047
Couldry, N. (2003). Media meta-capital: Extending the range of Bourdieu’s field theory. Theory and Society, 32(5-6), 653-677. DOI:10.1007/1-4020-2589-0_8
Iman, M. T., & Noushadi, M. R. (2011). Qualitative content analysis. Pazhuhesh, 3(2), 15-44. [In Persian] https://sid.ir/paper/488226/fa
Grenfell, M. (2009). Applying Bourdieu’s field theory: The case of social capital and education. Education, Knowledge & Economy, 3(1), 17-34. DOI:10.1080/17496890902786812.
Herzog, H. A., & Golden, L. L. (2009). Moral emotions and social activism: The case of animal rights. Journal of Social Issues, 65(3), 485-499. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2009.01615.x
Hesmondhalgh, D. (2006). Bourdieu, the media and cultural production. Media, Culture & Society, 28(2), 211-231. DOI:10.1177/0163443706061682
Ignatow, G., & Robinson, L. (2017). Pierre Bourdieu: theorizing the digital. Information, Communication & Society, 20(7), 950-966. DOI:10.1080/1369118X.2017.1301519
Lindell, J. (2017). Bringing field theory to social media, and vice versa: Network-crawling an economy of recognition on Facebook. Social Media + Society, 3(4), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305117735752
Mohagheghi, M., & Kashani, M. R. (2018). The impact of social networks on charitable activities. In: Proceedings of the National Conference on Media Studies, 2, Summer, 89-101. [In Persian] https://civilica.com/doc/624173 
Mirzaei, H., Mohammadzadeh, M., & Safoura, M. A. (2024). Cultural capital analysis and identity formation in “The Incredibles” (2004), “WALL-E” (2008), and “Ratatouille” (2007) based on Pierre Bourdieu’s cultural capital theory. Peykareh, 13(37), 40-57. [In Persian] 10.22055/PYK.2024.19267
Momeni, A., & Bahar, M. (2025). Celebrity-like philanthropic actions on Instagram: Case study of micro-celebrity Hamid Babri. Studies in Waqf and Charity, 3(1), 91-110. [In Persian] 10.22108/ECS.2025.143483.1123
Monica Pivetti. (2005). Animal rights activists’ representations of animals and animal rights: An exploratory study. Anthrozoös, 18(2), 140-159. DOI:10.2752/089279305785594252
Munro, L. (2005). Strategies, action repertoires and DIY activism in the animal rights movement. Social Movement Studies, 4(1), 75-94. DOI:10.1080/14742830500051994
Munro, L. (2012). The animal rights movement in theory and practice: A review of the sociological literature. Sociology Compass, 6(2), 166-181. DOI:10.1111/j.1751-9020.2012.00462.x
Paino, M., & Renzulli, L. A. (2013). The digital dimension of cultural capital: The (in)visible advantages for students who exhibit computer skills. Sociology of Education, 86(2), 124-138. DOI:10.1177/0038040712456556
Pettina-Rodriguez, C., & Chávez-Chuquimango, M. (2024). The use of photography as a prevention tool against animal abuse through Instagram. In P. C. López-López et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Communication and Applied Technologies 2024 (ICOMTA 2024) (Atlantis Highlights in Social Sciences, Education and Humanities, Vol. 28, pp. 107-115). Atlantis Press https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-596-6_10
Rezaei, M., & Bastani, F. (2019). A perspective on human duties toward animal rights. Legal Research Electronic Quarterly, 2(8), 165-190. [In Persian] http://noo.rs/W6SNg
Righetti, N., & Bertuzzi, N. (2020). Italian animal advocacy in the online battlefield. Mediascapes Journal, 16, 121-141. https://hdl.handle.net/11381/2936733
Stumpf, A., Herbrandt, S., Betting, L., Kemper, N., & Fels, M. (2024). Societal perception of animal videos on social media—Funny content or animal suffering? A survey. Animals, 14(15), 2234. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14152234
Torres, B. (2007). Making a killing: The political economy of animal rights. (Translated from English to Persian by G. Malek). Tehran: Nashre Markaz. [In Persian]
Vafaie Nikou, S., & Mahri, B. (2025). New marketing in charity: Case study of the campaign “Bricks for Heaven.” Strategic Culture Studies Quarterly, 5(2), 145-179. [In Persian] ‌https://doi.org/10.22083/scsj.2025.488399.1235
Virtual space and social media studies
Volume 3, Issue 1 - Serial Number 9
Spring 2026
Pages 159-185

  • Receive Date 09 October 2025
  • Revise Date 27 February 2026
  • Accept Date 22 April 2026
  • First Publish Date 22 April 2026
  • Publish Date 21 April 2026