HYPERVISIBILITY IN UKRAINE: SOCIAL MEDIA’S EVOLUTION AS SEEN THROUGH REVOLUTION SANDRA L. LARSON A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Mercyhurst University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED INTELLIGENCE RIDGE COLLEGE OF INTELLIGENCE STUDIES AND APPLIED SCIENCES MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA AUGUST 2016 RIDGE COLLEGE OF INTELLIGENCE STUDIES AND APPLIED SCIENCES MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA HYPERVISIBILITY IN UKRAINE: SOCIAL MEDIA’S EVOLUTION AS SEEN THROUGH REVOLUTION A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Mercyhurst University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN APPLIED INTELLIGENCE Submitted By: SANDRA L. LARSON Certificate of Approval: ___________________________________ James G. Breckenridge, Ph.D. Associate Professor and Dean Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences ___________________________________ Dawn M. Wozneak, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Ridge College of Intelligence Studies and Applied Sciences ___________________________________ David J. Dausey, Ph.D. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mercyhurst University August 2016 Copyright © 2016 by Sandra L. Larson All rights reserved. iii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my husband and children, without whom this would have never been completed. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank James Breckenridge and Dawn Wozneak for their wonderful guidance, patience, and support throughout this entire process. v ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS Hypervisibility in Ukraine: Social Media’s Evolution as Seen through Revolution A Critical Examination By Sandra L. Larson Master of Science in Applied Intelligence Mercyhurst University, 2016 Professor James G. Breckenridge, Chair The purpose of this thesis is to examine how the internet, and more specifically, social media, has become a major part of social revolution intelligence gathering. Although social revolutions have successfully taken place throughout history without the internet (save the last 20-30 years), the dawn of the internet has changed the nature of these revolutions. Once able to remain largely contained in their respective regions of the world, the internet provides a mouthpiece to the world wherever events may take place. This thesis will look at whether social revolution monitoring now requires the intelligence gleaned from social media sources. Case studies of the Orange Revolution in Ukraine in 2004 and the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution are utilized in this thesis to demonstrate if hypervisibility as a result of social media usage can impact social revolution, and how it has evolved through the last decade. vi By the time of the Orange Revolution in 2004, the internet had been around for quite some time and was an engrained part of everyday life. However, when the revolution in Ukraine began in late 2013, not only had the internet become a part of everyday life, but social media such as Facebook and Twitter lent new aspects to revolution being broadcast throughout the world. This thesis analyzes whether the hypervisibility of social media really does sustain full social revolution, or whether it contributes to slacktivism (activism online which does not translate into real action in the physical world), not really bringing about full social changes. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………… viii LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………..... x LIST OF FIGURES…………………………………………………………..... xi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION………………………………………………. 1 Introduction to the Problem…………………………………………….. 1 Background of the Problem ……………………………………………. 2 Statement of the Problem……………………………………………..... 6 Purpose of the Study………………………………………................... 8 Research Questions……………………………………………………... 9 Definitions of Terms…………………………….……………………… 12 Nature of the Study……………………………………………………... 13 Relevance and Significance of the Study……………………………….. 14 Assumptions and Limitations………………………………...…………. 15 Organization of the Study………………………………………….…… 17 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW………………………………………. 20 Introduction to the Literature Review…………………………………... 20 Theoretical Framework…………………………………………………. 20 Review of the Research Literature……………………………………… 21 Review of the Methodological Literature………………………………. 28 Chapter 2 Summary…………………………………………………….. 31 viii CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY……………………………………………… 32 Introduction……………………………………………………………... 32 Research Design………………………………………………………… 32 Selection of Cases………………………………………………………. 34 Data Collection…………………………………….…………………… 35 Data Analysis…………………………………….……………………... 36 Credibility…………………………………….………………………… 37 Ethical Issues…………………………………………………………… 38 Chapter 3 Summary…………………………………………………..… 38 CHAPTER 4: RESULTS……………………………………………………..… 40 Introduction……………………………………………………………... 40 Data and Analysis………………………………………………………. 41 Chapter 4 Summary…………………………………………………….. 51 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS………………………………………………... 53 Introduction……………………………………………………………... 53 Summary of the Study………………………………………………….. 54 Discussion of the Findings……………………………………………… 55 Implications for Practice………………………………………………... 57 Recommendations for Further Research………………………………... 59 Conclusions……………………………………………………………... 61 REFERENCES………………………………………………………………...... 63 ix LIST OF TABLES Page Variables in the Orange Revolution and the 2014 Table 1 37 Ukrainian Revolution Variable Impacts on the Orange Revolution and Table 2 51 the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution x LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1 Facebook Call to Action by Mustafa Nayyum 44 Figure 2 “I am a Ukrainian” YouTube Video 47 Facebook Event Posting of Polish planned event for Figure 3 48 pro-Ukrainian Support in Kiev Figure 4 Twitter Update on Situation in Kiev 49 Figure 5 Russian Soldier utilizing Instagram 50 xi 1 INTRODUCTION Introduction to the Problem Social Revolution: “a way of passing from a socioeconomic formation that has become historically obsolete to a more progressive one; a radical qualitative change in the entire socioeconomic structure of society” (Encyclopedia, 2010). If this sounds biased, it probably is – it comes from the 1979 Great Soviet Encyclopedia. The Soviet Union was at one point one of the entities most responsible for social revolution internationally. Its very foundation took place through a massive social revolution, one which saw an absolute monarchy demolished and a communist regime swept to power. While this may be one of the more dramatic instances of social revolution to have ever occurred, social revolutions have changed entire countries and societies throughout history. As society has evolved, so too have social revolutions. Social revolutions, which may coincide with political revolutions (and often do), differ in that they are not only a change in political regime, but also in the alignment of a society. The advent of the internet, however, has brought an entirely new element to social revolutions, and one that must be accounted for now whenever social revolutions begin. Social media tools provide an avenue which presents real-time updates to anyone with internet access. Social revolutions, which used to rely on word of mouth and traditional media such as newspaper, radio, and television, are now able to convey their messages much more quickly and effectively to computers, cell phones, and other internet-connected devices everywhere. Data availability on mobile devices has allowed users to access the internet almost anywhere they are located as well. Traditional media bias now competes with 2 opinions and first-hand accounts broadcast online through mediums such as Twitter and Facebook. Monitoring these social media outlets has now become a necessity, as oftentimes they offer the most accurate and up-to-date accounts of a situation on the ground. In fact, they have become so powerful that some governments have begun blocking access to certain key words and phrases. Furthermore, countries including China and Iran have blocked access to social media websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, to prevent the flow of information that is available through their constant information exchange which could potentially incite revolution (Bansal, 2011). Because of the power of social media, it will be studied here in the context of two social revolutions to demonstrate how it can serve as a catalyst for social revolution, as well as to determine if it allows social revolutions to occur more rapidly. Intelligence gathering has grown as a result of the advent of the internet, and as it continues to be relied on during times of social unrest, information (and misinformation) provided through social media will increase in value. Background of the Problem The evolution of the internet has created an entirely new atmosphere whenever social revolutions begin. Policy makers are still adjusting to a world where a social revolution in one place is quickly broadcast around the world, with the potential to begin social revolution elsewhere as well. One seemingly small incident has the potential to reverberate quickly in a given region and internationally through the internet. Turning a blind eye to social media’s impact at this point creates a huge void in intelligence gathering with catastrophic potential. 3 The French Revolution in 1789, the coming to power of the Nazis in Germany in 1933, and the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 are all examples of remarkable political social revolutions which have occurred. Non-political social revolutions include the US’s Industrial Revolution in the mid-1800s and the Civil Rights Movement