594
Revisiting the Role of Digital Media in Social Movements. Part I
Abstract Submissions Closed
RC48 Social Movements, Collective Actions and Social Change (host committee)
Language: English
Session Type: Oral
The advent of digital media has been observed to create opportunities for social movements to thrive in different regions of the world. The growing popularity of mobile technologies and social networking sites, in particular, has allowed activist groups and active citizens to self-mobilize and self-organize without being confined by mainstream media and traditional organizations. However, adopting new media and information technologies in collective or connective action requires citizen activists to operate under different premises and may expose them to police surveillance and internal conflict. The question remains about whether and how digital media empower or constrain the capacity of social movements.
This session seeks to revisit the contemporary relationship between digital media and social movements. It solicits submissions to discuss and debate about the role of digital media in recent social movements. In particular, we would like to address the following research questions: What is the role of digital media in the processes of mobilization and collective action? What are the opportunities and challenges of using new media and information technologies for political development and progressive social change? How does digital media adoption promote and/or hinder the advancement of diverse social and political agendas? At the theoretical level, how should we conceptualize the ways in which digital media expand and/or alter our understanding of contemporary social movements? Contributions are welcome from various methodological approaches and geo-political contexts.
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