Invisible machines. Collective action through digital space

Bachelorarbeit , 2011 , 157 Seiten , Note: Highest Honors

Philosophie - Sonstiges

The past two decades have seen an explosion in activism organized through digital space. From the early-90s efforts of the Zapatistas to build a global support network for a localist struggle to the recent tumultuous revolutions of the Arab Spring, digital technology has enabled organizing for social change in ways that previous generations of activists could scarcely have imagined. And yet, is the ascendancy of digital activism truly that surprising?

As cultural interactions and materials are increasingly enacted online, it is only to be expected that digital natives seize upon clickable social repertoires to articulate new political possibilities. Rather than analyzing the effects of a particular platform or technology in isolation, I examine the social dynamics that contribute to the dissemination of contentious frames and messages throughout digital space. By examining the network dynamics of everyday online socializing, I seek to elucidate some of the repertoires of contention through which digital activists have achieved critical mass.

These immanent dynamics of everyday online social interaction provide the basis for understanding how networked collectivities come to attach social significance to contentious ideas, and then mobilize individuals for offline collective action.I further argue that classical social science theories of group organizing are unable to account for the seemingly spontaneous and eruptive nature of digitally-organized movements. The difficulty, I argue, is not that theories of collective dissent are not empirically grounded, but that they are complicit with institutional edifices of static knowledge production in ways that resist recognizing the emergence of novel collectivities.

In elaborating this point, I initially focus on a case study of the 2008 demonstrations in Seoul, South Korea over the Lee Administration’s decision to lift the import ban on American beef. These demonstrations offer a prime example of the ways in which digital movements do not call for us to create new theories in place of old, but instead argue against the essentialist process of theorization itself. They further show how thinking of activism as online versus offline tactics represents a false dichotomy, since digital space augments, supplements and motivates offline spaces of encounter.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• Introduction
• The Rise of “Invisible Machines”
• The “Hacker Ethic” and the Politics of Technology
• Assemblages, Agency and Political Action in Networked Spaces
• Social Media, the Internet, and the New Technologies of Social Movements
• The Limits of the Network: Social Movement Emergence and the “Internet of Things”
• Conclusion

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This thesis explores the complex relationship between social movements, technology, and political action in the contemporary digital landscape. By examining the rise of "invisible machines" – networked collective action facilitated by digital technologies – the work seeks to understand how social movements utilize online spaces to achieve their goals and challenge existing power structures.

• The role of technology in shaping contemporary social movements
• The intersection of online and offline activism
• The evolution of social movement strategies in the digital age
• The impact of "invisible machines" on political participation and social change
• The limitations and challenges of utilizing technology for collective action

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• The Introduction sets the stage by posing fundamental questions about social movements, such as their emergence, tactics, and impact on institutions. It also introduces the concept of "invisible machines" as a framework for analyzing networked collective action.
• Chapter 1 delves into the historical context of "invisible machines" by examining the rise of digital technologies and their influence on social movements. It explores the emergence of online platforms and their role in facilitating collective action.
• Chapter 2 focuses on the "hacker ethic" and its relationship to the politics of technology. It analyzes how hacker culture has shaped the development of digital tools and how these tools are utilized by social movements.
• Chapter 3 introduces the concept of "assemblages" as a theoretical framework for understanding agency and political action in networked spaces. It discusses how social movements emerge and function as assemblages, utilizing diverse elements and technologies to achieve their objectives.
• Chapter 4 examines the role of social media, the internet, and new technologies in shaping contemporary social movements. It explores the ways in which social movements leverage digital platforms to mobilize supporters, disseminate information, and engage in political discourse.
• Chapter 5 analyzes the limitations and challenges of utilizing technology for collective action. It discusses the potential for digital technologies to be used for surveillance and repression, as well as the importance of considering the broader social context within which social movements operate.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

This thesis explores the intersection of social movements, technology, and political action, focusing on concepts such as "invisible machines," digital networks, collective action, agency, assemblage theory, social media, the internet, and the "internet of things." It delves into the evolving nature of social movement strategies in the digital age, examining the opportunities and challenges presented by technology for promoting social change.

• Hochschule: University of Michigan
• Note: Highest Honors
• Autor: Edmund Zagorin (Autor:in)
• Erscheinungsjahr: 2011
• Seiten: 157
• Katalognummer: V180309
• ISBN (eBook): 9783668749221
• ISBN (Buch): 9783668749238
• Sprache: Englisch
• Schlagworte: invisible, collective