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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 11, No. 7
Publication Date: July 25, 2024
DOI:10.14738/assrj.117.17217.
Satriaji, A. Z., & Destrity, N. A. (2024). Islamic Value-Based Digital Storytelling in Persuasive Messages on Social Media for
Crowdfunding Organization (Narrative Analysis of Instagram Account @Actforhumanity). Advances in Social Sciences Research
Journal, 11(7). 17-30.
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
Islamic Value-Based Digital Storytelling in Persuasive Messages
on Social Media for Crowdfunding Organization (Narrative
Analysis of Instagram Account @Actforhumanity)
Afif Zuhdi Satriaji
Department of Communication Science,
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Brawijaya University, Malang Indonesia
Nia Ashton Destrity
Department of Communication Science,
Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Brawijaya University, Malang Indonesia
ABSTRACT
This research aims to analyze narrative digital storytelling based on Islamic values
created by the Instagram account @actforhumanity. The researchers use a
narrative analysis method within a constructivist paradigm, focusing on posts
containing photos, videos, and captions that include Islamic values,
characterization, emotion, and setting elements. The study covers posts from
October 1, 2021, to January 20, 2022. The research identifies ten programs
conducted by the Aksi Cepat Tanggap team. Two characterization methods were
found: Aksi Cepat Tanggap as the hero helping victims and descriptions of the
problems faced by victims. The study identifies thirteen types of settings, with
citizen residences, refugee camps, and open spaces being the most dominant.
Eleven emotions were identified, with sadness, compassion, and joy being the most
prevalent. Seventeen kinds of Islamic values were used to build narratives, with the
values of caring, charity, and helping each other being the most prominent.
Keywords: Crowdfunding, Digital Storytelling, Islamic Values, Narrative Analysis,
Narrative Paradigm
INTRODUCTION
The development of crowdfunding agencies in Indonesia includes platforms such as
Kitabisa.com, Dompetdhuafa, Kolase.com, Ayopeduli.id, Gandengtangan.co.id, among others.
Kitabisa.com platform offers a variety of crowdfunding options, including initiatives for aircraft
production, film and music creation, and social assistance programs addressing issues like
floods, health, education, and hunger. Dompet Dhuafa provides opportunities for fundraising
for natural disaster relief, educational programs, health initiatives, and economic
empowerment through micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in sectors such as
animal husbandry, tourism, area development, and agriculture. The platform also facilitates
zakat payments.
Another prominent crowdfunding website in Indonesia is Aksi Cepat Tanggap (ACT),
established on April 21, 2005 [1]. ACT is legally recognized as an institution that engages in
humanitarian and social activities [2]. It focuses primarily on emergency response but also
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol. 11, Issue 7, July-2024
Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom
engages in post-disaster recovery programs, community development, and empowerment
initiatives. Additionally, ACT runs spiritual programs including waqf, zakat, and qurban. Its
financial resources are derived from public donations from individuals and organizations
concerned with humanitarian issues, as well as corporate social responsibility (CSR) and
partnership programs. ACT regularly disseminates audited annual financial reports to donors
and stakeholders through mass media. In 2012, ACT transformed into a global humanitarian
organization [1].
One method ACT uses to publicize its activities is through social media, particularly via its
Instagram account @actforhumanity. This account frequently uploads images with captions
that illustrate the conditions of environments and individuals in disaster-stricken areas, as well
as narratives of the activities carried out by the ACT team in the aftermath of disasters or crises.
As of December 24, 2021, the @actforhumanity Instagram account has amassed 1.2 million
followers.
Aksi Cepat Tanggap employs a strategy involving the construction of narratives or stories, a
fundamental means by which humans comprehend the world [3]. This is achieved through
persuasive communication, defined as a symbolic process in which communicators try to
convince other people to change their attitudes or behaviors regarding an issue through the
transmission of a message in an atmosphere of free choice [4]. West and Turner assert that
humans are innately inclined to engage in storytelling, an inclination reinforced when emotion,
value, and aesthetics become the basis of belief and behavior [5], [6]. Storytelling is a
performance wherein humans use their imagination and intelligence to comprehend the
perspectives of others or themselves [7]. The narrative paradigm articulated by Littlejohn and
Foss [7] serves as a method for articulating arguments through storytelling.
Aksi Cepat Tanggap employs Islamic values in its storytelling on Instagram to persuade
audiences to donate. There are three types of Islamic values: (a) akhlaq, which refers to the
duties and responsibilities outlined in Shari'ah and Islamic teaching in general; (b) adab, which
refers to the manners associated with good breeding; and (c) the qualities of character
possessed by a good Muslim, as exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad [8].
Several previous studies have explored how narratives can persuade audiences to engage in
prosocial behaviors for institutions or companies. Clark’s research [9] suggests that storytelling
can effectively encourage charitable giving. Xu and Wang [10] argue that digital storytelling can
leverage cultural values to persuade audiences to donate. Romney, Johnson, and Roschke [11]
highlight the use of photographs in digital storytelling, while Fiddian-Green, Gubrium, and
Peterson [12] demonstrate the potential of video as a medium for digital storytelling.
Additionally, Bock and Scheneider’s [13] research utilizes the narrative paradigm theory,
elucidating its application in storytelling.
Based on the previous research, it is evident that narratives play a crucial role in persuading
the public to engage with an institution's programs or initiatives. Previous studies have used
narrative analysis to examine the messages conveyed by institutions. In narrative research,
both researchers and participants engage in interpretive efforts shaped by their conceptual
frameworks, which they apply to textual materials (both oral and written) in their analyses
[14]. The rationale for this methodology is that crowdfunding agencies use narratives to attract
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Satriaji, A. Z., & Destrity, N. A. (2024). Islamic Value-Based Digital Storytelling in Persuasive Messages on Social Media for Crowdfunding Organization
(Narrative Analysis of Instagram Account @Actforhumanity). Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 11(7). 17-30.
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.117.17217
and motivate audiences by telling a story. Xu and Wang [10] suggest that researchers must be
attuned to narratives and their contextual nuances because the themes of narratives are often
intricately linked to their social and cultural contexts. Another similarity between this research
and previous studies is the portrayal of cultural values to motivate audiences to participate in
an institution's activities, particularly in making monetary donations. In Instagram posts
created by the @Actforhumanity account, Aksi Cepat Tanggap uses Islamic values to persuade
its audience through captions, videos, and photos. This research differs from previous studies
by specifically examining Islamic values. The researchers chose Aksi Cepat Tanggap over other
Indonesian crowdfunding organizations that also use Islamic values in their narratives because
Aksi Cepat Tanggap’s name is not directly associated with Islamic terminology, unlike other
institutions. Instagram was selected as the social media platform for this study because it is the
most actively used by the Aksi Cepat Tanggap team. Furthermore, the researchers posit that
Islamic values resonate strongly with the Indonesian populace, the majority of whom are
Muslims. In light of the preceding background information, researchers are interested in
analyzing the messages disseminated by @actforhumanity, with a particular focus on those that
utilize Islamic values and how @actforhumanity presents these values
METHODS
This research employs a constructivist paradigm, as elucidated by Creswell [15], which posits
that individuals or audiences endeavor to comprehend the world in a subjective manner,
shaped by their unique experiences. Researchers in this field use the constructivist paradigm
because it allows for an examination of how communicators, such as those at @actforhumanity,
construct messages or create a reality through digital storytelling, which may take the form of
captions, photos, and videos. The constructivist paradigm is frequently combined with
interpretive approaches and is typically regarded as a form of qualitative research [15]. The
qualitative research methodology selected by the researcher is descriptive qualitative research,
as the results of this research are in the form of a description of the digital storytelling carried
out by the @actforhumanity Instagram account.
The research method employed in this study is narrative analysis. Georgakopoulou [16] posits
that when analyzing narratives, it is essential to consider two key factors: fragmentation and
story openness. Fragmentation involves excerpting, beheading, or blocking a story or narrative.
Openness, on the other hand, is determined by whether the story is told by one or more
individuals and whether it is shared on one or more social media platforms [16].
Georgakopoulou [16] further elucidates that there are two distinct storytelling practices on
social media: narrative stance-taking, which is prevalent in personal or public narratives, and
rescripting, which involves repurposing an existing narrative to create a new one. In this study,
the narrative stance taken is narrative stance-taking, as the narratives presented by the
@actforhumanity Instagram account are derived from the experiences of the account holders
in the context of disaster management or the portrayal of other individuals (characters).
The primary data sources that researchers utilize originate from documentation. Specifically,
the data includes photos and videos uploaded to the @actforhumanity Instagram account from
October 1, 2021, to January 20, 2022. The sampling selection criterion requires each
fundraising narrative to contain at least two-story posts to ensure narrative coherence.
Additionally, the uploaded content must display an image or video relevant to the narrative
conveyed in the caption, ensuring consistency between the content and the narrative.