Abrasive Politics and Subjective Cultivation in the Digital Age: a Theoretical Approach to Far-right Populism in Argentina

Abstract

This article analyzes the configuration of political subjectivities in the digital age, focusing on the rise of far-right populism in Argentina. Based on an original framework, it proposes the category of abrasive politics to describe a discursive modality characterized by the deliberate wearing down of social bonds and the mobilization of affects through digital platforms. Through a critical review of Cultivation Theory (Gerbner), the paper develops the original concept of subjective cultivation, examining how the algorithmic ecosystem fragments the public sphere and radicalizes political identities. It is argued that this dynamic establishes new forms of discursive hegemony that challenge democratic consensuses. The analysis concludes that abrasive politics transforms digital interaction into a territory of permanent confrontation and institutional erosion, distinguishing itself from traditional explanations based solely on polarization or echo chambers.