New Social Movements and Community Based Resilience In Turbulent Times: A Global Sociological Perspective

Technological advancements have created a new arena for social movements and community based resilience in the twenty-first century, by using hashtags, tweets and virtual protests to show solidarity and mutual respect across transnations. Subsequently, we are living in the era of digital and popular media which influence our everyday practice of sociology.

This session is an attempt to explore the nature, relevance and scope of digitally driven new forms of social movements, grassroot initiatives and community-based responses to the existential geopolitics. Termed as a neo-global sociological perspective these innovative movements are highly people-centric and dynamic in nature with a far-reaching impact stretching from global to local and vice-versa.

As nations stand at geo-political crossroads, where disrupted supply-chains, economic fragmentation and resource-driven diplomacy has caused an unprecedented impact on human societies, the rise of digital movements and community-led resilience initiatives have emerged significantly. Based on how communities utilise social media platforms, mobilising digital advocacy, citizen journalism, mutual aid networks and collaborative technologies, these campaigns and collectives aim to create an interplay between grassroots realities and global digital connectivity. They aim to mobilise communities, disseminate information, challenge inequalities, and foster collective well-being using digital platforms which otherwise would be restricted by geographically dispersed individuals.

Thus, this session aims to call academicians, essentially the youth from diverse socio-political backgrounds from across continents, to discuss the relevance of using digital platforms, it’s long-standing impact on global communities and the future possibility of shaping pathways to amplify marginalized voices through digital activism.