Making the world a better place, violently. A study of the narratives of Djurfront

Abstract: In this thesis I investigate the narratives through which Djurfront makes sense of and justify animal rights, actions, demonstrations as well as the use of violence. But also how these narratives within Djurfront are formed and maintained. By using narrative theory and narrative criminology I investigate how Djurfront creates and shapes their narratives, but also how these are used to encourage (violente) action. The theory of underdog stories is used to understand Djurfront’s view on themselves, their opponents, the purpose of their struggle and what keeps them motivated. With netnography as my methodological approach I examine news articles, interviews, Djurfront’s instagram account and texts published by Djurfronts activists. I also asked Djurfront questions via email and conducted four qualitative interviews with activists from other animal rights organizations to answer questions the collected netnographic material could not fully cover. This thesis contributes to an increased understanding of how animal rights activists create meaning around their actions and approaches to conducting the fight for animals. But it also shed light on how they make moral sense of violent actions and what techniques they use to do this.