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Collective Action in Digital Age: a Multilevel Model Proceedings of the 52nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences | 2019 Collective Action in Digital Age: A Multilevel Model Hyunjin Seo The University of Kansas [email protected] Abstract communication technologies have enabled actors beyond traditional intermediaries (e.g., government This theory paper proposes a multilevel model for and mainstream media outlets) to occupy positions of analyzing collective actions for social change in the influence. The growth of relatively inexpensive digital networked information age. The model includes four collaborative networks has resulted in new capabilities levels of agency (individual, group, organizational, for exchanges of information and opinions between and bot) and three levels of affordance (application, collective action organizers and interested citizens. A network infrastructure, and socio-political system) to recent example is provided by the Women’s March on help analyze social change dynamics which have Washington in January 2017, which was aimed at become more decentralized. Mechanisms and promoting diversity and inclusion in the wake of outcomes of interactions between factors in the model Donald Trump being elected the U.S. president [11], should be considered to offer a more complete picture [12]. Facebook was the primary channel through of social change facilitated by digital communication which participants were mobilized, with hundreds of technologies. Empirical studies based on this model Facebook event pages created in different cities of the will help illuminate the evolution of communication United States and around the world [13]. Other recent structures as well as the affordances that evolution examples include Occupy Wall Street and popular provides for social change. Moreover, speedy uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa [8], disintermediation in networked spaces and [14], [15], [16], [17], [18]. In each of these cases, interactions between the levels in this process provides informally associated citizens have used social media an opportunity for better understanding information to share information and mobilize people to seek generation and mediation. social change. Consequently, information is generated, filtered, 1. Introduction and exchanged without necessarily being mediated by traditional intermediaries. The result is the rapid Collective actions, “actions taken by two or more emergence and extinction of networked spaces as well people in pursuit of the same collective good” [1], as of influencers within and between those spaces. In have spurred important changes in our society. addition, agencies in these spaces often quickly adapt Examples include sit-in protests against desegregation to changes in infrastructure and other affordances for in the U.S. South in the 1960s and candlelight vigils in digital-intensive collective actions [19]. Seemingly South Korea leading up to impeachment of President paradoxically, as information content becomes more Park Geun-hye in 2016 [2], [3], [4]. While some decentralized, there arises increased dependence upon collective actions have resulted in influencing public shared communication protocols which are largely opinion or policies, there are many other examples of under the centralized control of governments or large- collective actions failing to bring about change [5], scale service providers [20], [21]. [6], [7]. How do different factors interact to influence These changes in the communication environment processes and outcomes of particular collective demand new theoretical and methodological actions? Scholars in different disciplines have approaches to effectively analyze social change grappled with this question [8], [9], [3], [5], [10]. dynamics. While some studies have provided Moreover, the rapidly changing digital media important empirical and theoretical arguments about environment makes it even more important to consider collective action in the digital media age [9], [3], [16], different communication agencies and affordances, as the field still lacks a comprehensive approach to the detailed later in this paper. subject. Indeed, scholars have emphasized the Analyzing collective action and social change importance of building a theoretical framework that dynamics has become more complex, as digital reflects multi-faceted changes brought about by digital communication technologies [7]. [22] argued the field URI: https://hdl.handle.net/10125/59712 ISBN: 978-0-9981331-2-6 Page 2753 (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) is characterized by disjointed initiatives lacking a solid Hawaii created a Facebook page for a hypothetical theoretical foundation. march in Washington D.C. [13], [26]. Her post In this theory paper, I propose a multilevel model received about 10,000 responses by the next morning, for analyzing roles of communication for collective and then experienced activists joined the cause to action and social change in the networked information create a committee for an actual march in Washington age. The model considers four levels of agency D.C. on January 21, 2017 [11], [27]. Through the (individual, group, organization, and bot) and three process, Facebook was used as the primary medium levels of structure (application, network infrastructure, through which both organizers and participants and socio-political system). This paper is based on a promote their agenda of improving rights of minority conceptual research method, which is often used in groups including LGBTQ as well as women’s rights. building a theoretical framework [23]. I argue that this Digital communication technologies have enabled model allows scholars and policy makers to analyze mobilization of individuals seeking common goals and communication for social change in a more contextual influenced how organizations identify and select and dynamic manner. The argument begins with activists who are considered beneficial to collective consideration of relevant contexts in communication action [3], [28], [29]. and technology, introduces the multilevel model, These changes in the nature of interactions discusses how the model applies to recent collective between actors in society, facilitated by increasingly actions around the world, and concludes with available collaborative communication technologies, discussion of scholarly and policy implications of the are described in many different terms such as proposed model. information society [30], network society [31], [32], [33] and networked information economy [34]. 2. New Ways of Mobilization Calling for a Castells [31], [32], [33] used the term network society Comprehensive Framework to describe the impact of information communication technologies (ICTs) on different levels of interactions Increasingly available and affordable digital in society. According to Castells [31], a network technologies have significant consequences for society is “a society whose social structure is made of communication for social change, as demonstrated in networks powered by microelectronics-based recent popular uprisings in the Middle East and Asia information and communication technologies” (p. 3). [19], [20], [16], [18] and protests around racial and Benkler [34] argues that ICTs have brought about a diversity issues in the United States [24], [25]. For networked information economy characterized by example, during the Arab Spring—popular political information decentralization, nonproprietary movements in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, and strategies, nonmarket mechanisms, and more effective Syria since 2010—social media provided space for large-scale non-hierarchical cooperation. Examples of both activists and citizens to express dissatisfaction the networked information economy include wikis, with the status quo and abuse of power by political blogs, and open-source software through which an leaders in their country and thus to create a collective unlimited number of individuals can collaborate to identity against oppression and around resistance [14], produce and share information and ideas. Internet- [16]. Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong in 2014 based information and communication technologies utilized social media for organizing and sustaining have brought about important changes in our society, their movement calling for election reform [19]. South particularly with regard to producing and sharing Korean activists and citizens used social media to information and knowledge. These underlying mobilize people for candlelight vigils for six weeks in changes have significant implications for collective 2016 calling for impeachment of President Park Geun- actions for social change. hye who was implicated in a corruption scandal [4]. Studies have examined specific roles of digital In the United States, social media have recently communication technologies in collective actions. For emerged as an important collection of spaces for example, [8] analyzed the correlation between mobilizing for racial, ethnic, or gender-related issues. protests, arrests, and spikes in event mentions in social For instance, #Fergerson and #BlackLivesMatter are media by looking at three different cases: the 2011 among the most influential hashtags around social anti-austerity movement in Spain (Indignados), the causes in Twitter’s 10-year history [24], [25]. A more 2011 Occupy movement, and the 2013 Vinegar recent example is the Women’s March on Washington protests in Brazil concerning a raise in public in January 2017, “the largest single-day transportation fare. Analyzing time-series data of demonstration” in
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