Eva Peron and Jorge Luis Borges, Peronism and Antiperonism in Times of Pandemic: Polyphony and interdiscursivity in digital technocultures

Abstract

This article uses the theoretical perspective of Discursive Analysis and Digital Humanities, as well as that of Critical Technocultural Discourse Analysis and Digital Literacy. It takes advantage of textual mining methods and semantic analysis to examine tweets on Jorge Luis Borges and Eva Perón during the coronavirus pandemic. Through this theoretical and methodological perspective, it analyses the most frequent hashtags, the commonest terms and the most relevant topics on both intellectuals. It reveals that Eva Perón and Jorge Luis Borges spurred contentious positions in relation to topics as peronism and antiperonism, feminism and antifeminism, health policies linked to the coronavirus pandemic, and opposed views of society and politics. The discursive practices in social networks were active producers of social meanings and helped to join together collectives in moments of crisis, like the one lived throughout the global health emergency. This analysis highlights the interdiscursive and polyphonic nature of these practices, which were capable of convey multiple and heterogeneous meanings, expressing support or opposition to the governmental policies, the social movements and the health measures.