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Blogging As Collective Action: the Role of Collective Identity and Social Networks in Engendering Change

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Blogging As Collective Action: the Role of Collective Identity and Social Networks in Engendering Change View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by ScholarBank@NUS BLOGGING AS COLLECTIVE ACTION: THE ROLE OF COLLECTIVE IDENTITY AND SOCIAL NETWORKS IN ENGENDERING CHANGE SOON WAN TING (M.C.S.), NTU A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS AND NEW MEDIA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2011 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The deed is done. I would like to thank: Hichang Cho, my Ph.D. adviser, whose guidance and boundless patience steered me through this journey of personal discovery. Vedi Hadiz and Weiyu Zhang, for providing incisive feedback that was invaluable in shaping this dissertation. My wonderful colleagues at the Department of Communications and New Media, for providing a collegial and nurturing environment. Special thanks to Milagros Rivera, for being an amazing Head! Han Woo Park, my collaborator and mentor, from whom I have learned so much . And I would like to dedicate this to my family: To Dev, you are the anchor of my life. To Manu, thank you for your support. To Amanda, my sister and my soul mate, you mean much more to me than you will ever know. And to my parents, thank you for your unconditional love; without you, I doubt I would be able to complete my dissertation. i TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................... i SUMMARY .................................................................................................. vi LIST OF TABLES ....................................................................................... ix LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................... x CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................... 1 Background .................................................................................................... 1 Research Objectives ....................................................................................... 5 Theoretical Framework .................................................................................. 7 Rationale and Significance ............................................................................ 12 Structure of Thesis ......................................................................................... 15 CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................... 17 Social Movements from Resource Mobilization Perspectives ...................... 17 A Social Network Approach .................................................................... 22 Formal Social Networks .................................................................... 23 Informal Social Networks .................................................................. 25 Multiplex Ties and Strong Ties.......................................................... 27 Online Social Networks ..................................................................... 29 New Social Movements and Collective Identity ........................................... 34 Four Dimensions of Collective Identity ................................................... 36 Online Collective Identities ..................................................................... 40 Technology and Online Activism .................................................................. 44 Disseminating Information and Organizing Action ................................. 45 Building Networks and Communities ...................................................... 48 Blogging ................................................................................................... 50 Media Regulation in Singapore ..................................................................... 54 Socio-Historical Context and Regulatory Framework ............................. 55 Technology and Democratization ............................................................ 56 New Media and Cyber Discourse ............................................................ 58 Changing Political Opportunities and Civic Engagement ....................... 60 Research Questions ........................................................................................ 62 Research Question 1 ................................................................................ 62 Research Question 2 ................................................................................ 64 Research Question 3 ................................................................................ 66 ii CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY .............................................................. 68 Sample and Data Collection........................................................................... 68 Using Commercial Search Engines ......................................................... 68 Using Blog Aggregators .......................................................................... 71 Snowballing Seed Sites ............................................................................ 72 Survey ............................................................................................................ 73 Procedure ................................................................................................. 74 Sample...................................................................................................... 76 Measurement ............................................................................................ 79 Motivations for Blogging ................................................................... 80 Activism Involvement ........................................................................ 80 Membership in Non-Governmental and Civil Society Organizations ................................................... 80 Participation in Activism ............................................................. 80 Types of Activism Involvement ................................................... 81 Reasons for Non-Participation ..................................................... 82 Use of Internet Technologies for Activism .................................. 82 Social Networks and Relational Characteristics ................................ 83 Number of Social Contacts .......................................................... 83 Tie Strength .................................................................................. 84 Perceived Social Influence ........................................................... 85 Trust, Information-Seeking and Social Selective Incentives ....... 85 Interviews ....................................................................................................... 86 Procedure ........................................................................................... 87 Sample................................................................................................ 88 Transcription and Analysis ................................................................ 89 CHAPTER 4 POLITICAL BLOGGERS & ACTIVISM ..............……. 94 PARTICIPATION Blog Content of Political Blogs ..................................................................... 94 Political Bloggers’ Activism Participation .................................................... 98 CHAPTER 5 ACTIVIST BLOGGERS & COLLECTIVE IDENTITY .. 107 Shared Consciousness among Activist Bloggers ........................................... 107 Identity Signifiers and Perception of “The Others” ....................................... 116 Articulation of a Common Adversary............................................................ 121 Dichotomy between Community and Individualism ..................................... 127 CHAPTER 6 SOCIAL NETWORKS & ACTIVISM PARTICIPATION.136 Structural Proximity and Activism Participation ........................................... 137 Relational Characteristics in Activist Bloggers’ and iii Non-Activist Bloggers’ Social Networks ................................................ 144 Strength of Ties ........................................................................................ 145 Perceived Social Influence ....................................................................... 148 Trust ......................................................................................................... 150 Information-Seeking ................................................................................ 152 Social Selective Incentives ...................................................................... 155 Relational Characteristics among Activist Bloggers’ Informal, Formal and Online Networks ................................................................... 159 Strength of Ties and Trust........................................................................ 159 Information-Seeking ................................................................................ 164 Perceived Social Influence and Social Selective Incentives .................... 166 CHAPTER 7 INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES & ACTIVISM ............... 175 Disseminating Information and Organizing Activities .................................. 175 Fostering Connections and Building Networks ............................................. 184 Social Media and Viral Activism ................................................................... 192 CHAPTER 8 DISCUSSION ...................................................................... 202 Collective Individualism as a Galvanizing Force .......................................... 202 Organization Affiliation and Collective Identity ....................................
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