Globalization by Ritzer George; Dean Paul; & Paul Dean

Author:Ritzer, George; Dean, Paul; & Paul Dean
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
Published: 2014-12-29T00:00:00+00:00

SOCIAL MEDIA AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

While governments and corporations have either sought to control, or at least monitor, global Internet flows, thereby shaping globalization from “above,” organizations (e.g. Wikileaks) and social movements have also harnessed these technologies to shape globalization from “below.” Indeed, the Internet, social media, and cell phones have become centrally important tools for activists and social movements around the world (Moghadam 2013).

One of the most important uses of the Internet and social media for social movements is for linking various movements and networks together to coordinate activities and help activists develop a collective identity. For example, Avaaz.org launched in 2007 “with a simple democratic mission: organize citizens of all nations to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want.” Avaaz (which means “voice” in several Middle Eastern, European, and Asian languages) addresses many global, regional, and national issues, from genocide and war to climate change and poverty. The site is truly global in that it is translated into 15 languages and draws on thousands of volunteers to create and promote campaigns around the world. While some campaigns are focused online (e.g. Internet petitions), many actions are also aimed at organizing protests offline, but all campaigns harness the quick and efficient use of the Internet to spread information and mobilize action.

Perhaps the most famous example of the use of social media and cell phones in social movements is the so-called “Twitter Revolution” (Jurgenson 2012). The term originated amidst mass protest in Moldova in 2009 (Mungiu-Pippidi 2009), and was popularized through the subsequent wave of popular uprisings in North Africa and the Middle East. It refers not only to the use of Twitter on computers and mobile devices, but also to the broader use of social media in social movements. For example, in Iran, protestors turned to Twitter after the controversial 2009 re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The government had shut down traditional media outlets, so the use of Twitter, especially via mobile phones, was an especially effective way to spread information and organize actions. It was through Twitter and other social media that activists and bystanders learned about the death of Nedā Āghā-Soltān. Āghā-Soltān, a philosophy student, was shot by government forces and her last moments were recorded on video and then went “viral” throughout social media. The event was described as “probably the most widely witnessed death in human history” (Mahr 2009), and the video went on to win the prestigious George Polk Award for video journalism. It was the first time that the award was given to an anonymous producer. Āghā-Soltān, and the video, became rallying cries for the opposition.

The role of social media and the Internet can be further seen as these popular protests spread to other countries, such as Egypt in 2010–2011. Protests were sparked in part by the brutal death of Khaled Mohamed Said, a 28-year-old Egyptian man, who was severely beaten and died while in police custody. Photographs of Said’s disfigured face went viral online and helped mobilize a discontented populace against then-President Hosni Mubarak.

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