Digital Mourning After Femicide: A Netnographic Study of Social Responses in Turkey

Abstract

This study examines the construction of collective mourning and social memory in digital environments following the discovery of university student Ayşe Tokyaz’s body in a suitcase, using a netnographic approach. Femicide is framed as a form of structural violence that produces societal trauma. A total of 414 online comments from Haberler.com were reviewed; 226 met the inclusion criteria, and 205 were analyzed after data cleaning. An integrated qualitative method combining thematic analysis, manual sentiment coding, and discourse analysis was employed. Findings highlight strong demands for justice and capital punishment, alongside distrust in the legal system and calls for retribution. Patriarchal norms appear in victim-blaming and sexist discourse, while demands to reveal the perpetrator’s identity reflect “digital justice.” Collective mourning is expressed through empathy and shared grief, whereas fear signals ongoing trauma. Some users invoke religious references. As a single-case study, findings are context-specific.

Keywords

digital mourning femicide netnography social responses

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