Activism and radical politics in the digital age

Abstract

This article aims to develop a typology for evaluating different types of activism in the digital age, based on the ideal of radical democracy. Departing from this ideal, activism is approached in terms of processes of identification by establishing conflictual frontiers to outside Others as either adversaries or enemies. On the basis of these discussions, we outline a typology of four kinds of activists: the salon activist, the contentious activist, the law-abiding activist, and the Gandhian activist. The typology's first axis, between antagonism and agonism, is derived from normative discussions in radical democracy concerning developing frontiers. The second axis, about readiness to engage in civil disobedience, is derived from a review of studies of different forms of online activism. The article concludes by suggesting that the different forms of political engagement online have to be taken into account when studying how online activism can contribute to social change.

Exploring youth activism on climate change: dutiful, disruptive, and dangerous dissent

“…There are also forms of dissent that are less visible or obvious, expressed through subcultures of resistance over time (Stitzlein 2012). Although social media can facilitate surveillance and encourage self-censorship (Bauman and Lyon 2013), it can also be an important arena for climate change activism, contributing to information distribution, logistical support, participation fora, and "e-movements," all of which can also play a role in radical politics (Earl et al 2010, Olsson and Dahlgren 2010, Collin 2015, Neumayer and Svensson 2016.…”

The symbol of social media in contemporary protest: Twitter and the Gezi Park movement

“…Within digital discursive environments, 'the loci of power are much more diffuse and instruments of ideological control and discipline are more subtle and complex' (Jones et al, 2015: 1). Having said that, it should also be noted that there are real risks involved when using commercial social media platforms for activist purposes, such as accounts being closed or data being handed over to the authorities (Neumayer and Svensson, 2016). Vis et al (2019: 249), commenting on the Black Lives Matter movement, express concerns over 'the superficiality of political relationships that appear to have developed between black protest and the tech industry, and also of the ways that Twitter in particular has benefitted from activists using its platform'.…”

Subactivismo feminista y repertorios de acción colectiva digitales: prácticas ciberfeministas en Twitter

“…Se considera que las actividades políticas surgen en la superposición de la política y la cultura (Lim;Kann, 2008, p. 92), en este caso digital. Gracias en parte a la cultura digital, el activismo contemporáneo adquiere diferentes roles dependiendo de sus respectivas causas, perfilando una forma de acción modulable, adaptativa y con rasgos tecnológicos propios (Neumayer;Svensson, 2016, p. 144).…”