Connective Action and Conservative Mobilisation: An Analysis of Digital Activism Against the School Curriculum with Gender Approach in Peru

Introduction: This research aims to critically examine the formative period of the conservative mobilisation that emerged in Peru against the school curriculum with gender approach, in line with the resurgence of similar movements worldwide. Drawing on the applied concept of connective action (Bennett & Segerberg, 2012), the study evaluates and reflects on the Facebook activity of emerging activist groups who, through their posts, construct a conservative narrative that positions them as deliberative agents. Methodology: A database was compiled consisting of 6.221 online posts that helped trigger two mass marches in Lima in 2017. These posts were systematically analysed using a machine learning model implemented in a Jupyter Lab environment (Python 3.11). Results: The study shows a strong correlation between message simplification, intensive use of audiovisual media, and discourse radicalization, alongside significant growth in follower base. Discussion: The findings discuss how conservative groups in Peru articulate digitally without hierarchical structures. The research argues that communication not only reflects organization but actively constitutes it—through formats, symbolic nodes, and affective economies. Contrary to the idea of “collective inertia”, the study finds that episodic connections can foster politically effective communities. Conclusions: The conservative mobilisation in Peru constitutes a social movement that employs connective action to disseminate simplified and polarizing anti-gender discourses. This digital strategy shapes an exclusionary political identity, influences both public and institutional debate, and poses significant challenges to social cohesion, democratic governance, and national educational policy.