Social Media Content Analysis within the Framework of the Sustainable Development Goals: The Case of Bilecik Municipality
Abstract
This study aims to examine how local governments demonstrate their understanding of sustainable development through digital communication practices. Accordingly, a total of 955 posts shared by Bilecik Municipality on Instagram between April 2, 2024, and December 1, 2025, were evaluated using the content analysis method from a sustainability perspective. The posts were classified within the framework of social, economic, and environmental sustainability dimensions as well as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and were further analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings indicate that the municipality's social media communication is significantly concentrated on the dimension of social sustainability. While 92.8% of the posts were coded under social sustainability, it was observed that economic (26.7%) and environmental (18.5%) sustainability dimensions were represented to a relatively limited extent. In the social content, services for vulnerable groups, health-based solidarity practices, and child-oriented cultural activities stand out. Examining the distribution of Sustainable Development Goals, it is observed that the posts predominantly cluster around SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being). The thematic analysis results reveal that the municipality's sustainability discourse is structured around the themes of social solidarity and welfare, urban life, economic accessibility, and environmental sensitivity. This study contributes to the literature by demonstrating that the sustainability performance of local governments can be systematically analyzed not only through policy documents but also through social media content.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Sustainable Development
Journal Section
Research Article
Authors
Gözde Koca
*
0000-0001-6847-6812
Türkiye
Anıl Taflan
0000-0003-1076-6221
Türkiye
Maher Jarada
0009-0008-4721-5144
Türkiye
Publication Date
May 31, 2026
Submission Date
February 6, 2026
Acceptance Date
May 20, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 11 Number: 1