The multilayer semantic network structure of community tensions.

Abstract

Introduction: Semantic network analysis is an important tool researchers can use to untangle the knots of tension that arise as communities debate and discuss complex issues. Yet words connect not only to each other in community discourse but to larger themes or issues.

Methods: In this paper, we demonstrate the use of multilayer analysis for the study of semantic networks, helping to unravel connections within and between community tensions. In examining knotted tensions that arise in the wake of disaster, this study also spotlights how climate disasters exacerbate issues like housing equity, disproportionately affecting lower-income communities. We examine discourse across eight months of online neighborhood threads about community issues in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida. We identify core tensions related to environmental sustainability, overdevelopment, neighborhood identity preservation, and economic vitality. Our within-tension analysis reveals the community's struggle with such dilemmas, while our between-tension analysis shows the interconnectedness of these issues. Our approach highlights which stakeholders are best positioned to address specific community problems.

Results: The findings challenge the conventional top-down disaster response narrative, proposing a theoretically informed method for employing semantic network analysis to examine community crises. Through this work, we extend organizational communication theories of knotted tensions, offering a nuanced lens to community discourse in the face of wicked problems.