Theorizing social media and activism: where is community development?

Abstract

There is a growing public and academic debate on the societal impacts of the internet and, in particular, social media. For its proponents, social media is a force for change, which can challenge entrenched hierarchies, redistribute power, democratize information, support mass mobilization and contribute to the building of global movements. Increasingly such positivist arguments are being questioned. Critics argue that it has become a sinister force, facilitating the spread of ‘fake news’, providing an instrument for citizen surveillance and re-enforcing neoliberal hegemony. The community development literature has barely engaged in those debates around social media that appear urgent in other disciplines. Social media has been seen as a value-free tool for broadcasting and dissemination, and neither evaluated as a force for change nor examined as an instrument of neoliberal intents. Although there is a community development literature on neoliberalism and globalization, it often accepts these, rather than critiques them, as the contexts within which community development operates. Challenging established power imbalances and enhancing citizen participation in democratic processes are purposes central to community development values. Analysis of wider literature raises questions with regard to the values embedded in the technologies from which enhanced levels of participation and engagement are expected to flow. It also raises questions about who benefits most from the affordances of these technologies. This article, drawing on an extensive literature review, presents the case for community development values to be asserted in these debates.

Social Media Counterpublics and the Chief Big Foot Memorial Ride

“…Questions related to social media's relationship to activism have been of significant focus for social scientists. Inspired by the mobilization of social media during the Occupy Movement, Arab Spring, and other contemporary social justice movements, scholars have turned their attention to what possible roles social media may play in twenty-first century activism (Allsop, 2016;McCabe & Harris, 2020;Sandoval-Almazan & Gil-Garcia, 2014). Some scholars suggest that social media has opened a new frontier for social movements to organize coalitions and disseminate information about their positions more broadly, expanding upon earlier uses of digital technology like email lists and websites (Sandoval-Almazan & Gil-Garcia, 2014;Velasquez & LaRose, 2015).…”

Societal Reactions to Social Movements in Elections in Asian Countries: An Overview of Democracy

“…Even if the widespread use of social media has helped social movements become more mobilized and organized in an efficient manner, there are still worries over the likelihood of manipulation and fraud occurring on these platforms (Tye et al, 2018). (Young andcolleagues 2019, McCabe andHarris 2021). Paint a complete picture of how people in Asian countries responded to social movements and how they were influenced by these movements around election time.…”

Community Empowerment Through Amil School For The Enhancement Of Productive Zakat Management

“…While in terms of zakat as an obligatory act of worship performed by distributing a portion of one's assets to those who are eligible to receive it in accordance with Shari'a law, zakat is a voluntary act (Asman et al, 2023). Empowerment is defined as giving power to control or control humans, both individuals and groups, to participate in decisions that concern themselves and their communities (Dahl, 1989), Then, community empowerment as an advocacy strategy for attaining social justice (McCabe & Harris, 2021).…”