Friday, January 27, 2012

small change

starts w/example of a sit in
"it was like a fever, everyone wanted to go"

why this example?
no FB/twitter

activists once defined by case, now by tools

digital evangelist critics

Iran: ppl tweeting were in the West, they know b/c tweets in English!

activism pre-dates twitter

why take the risk of changing stauts quo when so dangerous?

what makes ppl willing to engage in this sort of activism?

degree of personal connections

high risk activism is a strong-tie phenomenon

the more friends critical of regime, more likely you are to join

social media activism based around weak ties

acquaintances are our greatest source of new ideas and info

weak ties don't lead to strong activism risk taking

Help Sameer campaign

how did it succeed? by not asking too much of ppl

not the same kind of activism, no risk involved

increase participation, less motivation

Save Darfur: 9 cents each!

no real sacrifice

Another distinction: no hierarchy in social media activism

they're networks
decisions made by consensus. thus difficult to reach consensus and set goals
example: occupy wall st.

ex. wikipedia
PLO began as a network

1970s germany, left-wing terrorists, hierarchy
al-qaeda a hierarcy once, now a network

if you want to make systemic change, if you take on a powerful and organized establishment, you need hierarchy

boycotts/sit ins: high risk strategies

twitter wouldn't have helped MLK/civil rights movement, only discipline, strategy, people with strong ties

DIFFT than yesterday--internet isn't as powerful as we think

instruments of social media don't challenge the status quo, only to make existing social order more efficient

last line

sidekick

title?



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