Discurso ideológico en el uso de dispositivos simbólicos en una protesta social. El caso de Nepal

Abstract

This investigation addresses the study of social protests that took place in Nepal in september of 2025. In a context defined by social dissatisfaction, corruption allegations, and demand of more citizen representation, juvenile protests were characterized by the use of diverse visual and symbolic resources that transcended traditional protest repertoire. This study seeks to analyze how ideological speech influences the use of symbolic devices during social protests. For that, a qualitative focus analysis based on social media posts disseminated during the protests' most meaningful days was adopted. This investigation emanates from the premise that symbols constitute fundamental elements in social communication processes and in collective identity construction. Forms in which certain visual resources are adopted, reinterpreted, and redefined by social actors to express political demands, disagreement feelings, and change aspirations, are examined. Through selected posts' analysis, this study explores the existing relationship between ideological speech, symbolic representation, and collective action, allowing comprehension of how new generations coordinate political participation figures within environments which arr increasingly influenced by digital communication and global cultural flows. Thus, an approach to the juvenile protests phenomenon in Nepal from a communication perspective is offered through this work, highlighting the importance of symbols as expression tools, collective identification, and sense construction within XXI century social protest processes.