UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO Technologies of Social Change: Mapping the Infrastructure of the Occupy Movement from #OccupyWallStreet to #OccupySandy A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology (Science Studies) by Joan Donovan Committee in charge: University of California, San Diego Professor Martha Lampland, Chair Professor Geoffrey Bowker Professor Manuel Castells Professor Kelly Gates Professor Isaac Martin Professor Charles Thorpe 2015 Copyright Joan Donovan, 2015 All Rights Reserved The Dissertation of Joan Donovan is approved, and it is acceptable in quality and form for publication on microfilm and electronically: Chair University of California, San Diego 2015 iii DEDICATION For my wife, Nathalie iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Signature Page ............................................................................................................... iii Dedication ...................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... v List of Figures ............................................................................................................... vii List of Tables ................................................................................................................. ix Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ x Vita ............................................................................................................................... xii Abstract of the Dissertation ......................................................................................... xiii Chapter One A Revolution in Keywords ........................................................................ 1 Why Study the Occupy Movement? ................................................................. 19 Literature Review ............................................................................................. 29 Infrastructure Studies ............................................................................ 30 Social Movements: Technology, Tactics, and Organizational Forms .. 39 Sociology of Science and Technology and the Study of Emerging Technologies ......................................................................................... 54 Chapter Two Shifting the Paradigm of Social Movements .......................................... 58 The Network Society as an Information Milieu ............................................... 62 Technologically Dense Environments as Arenas of Participation ................... 71 High Finance ........................................................................................ 75 Culture Industry .................................................................................... 78 Digital Labor ........................................................................................ 84 Infrastructures as Politics by other Means ........................................................ 90 Chapter Three Towards a Militant Ethnography of Infrastructure ............................... 97 From Laboratory Studies to Militant Ethnography .......................................... 99 #Occupy as a Technologically Dense Environment ....................................... 111 v Integrating Situational Analysis with Militant Ethnography .......................... 120 Returning to the Field ..................................................................................... 128 Chapter Four Phreaking the Party Line with InterOccupy ........................................ 131 The Platforms of the Occupy Movement ....................................................... 138 “Hello Girls” ................................................................................................... 143 Calling all Phreaks .......................................................................................... 147 Conference Calling across the Occupy Movement ........................................ 157 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 164 Chapter Five “Our Process is our Message” .............................................................. 166 From Leaderless to Leader-full ...................................................................... 167 Chapter Six From proto-institutions ........................................................................... 226 (De)tour Guide ................................................................................................ 232 Touring OWS ................................................................................................. 239 Spaces of Power ............................................................................................. 286 Chapter Seven To Virtual Organizations ................................................................... 292 InterOccupy: A Beta-test ................................................................................ 313 Chapter Eight To Power ............................................................................................. 351 Conclusion ...................................................................................................... 382 Works Cited ................................................................................................................ 388 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1 Map created by A99 for #OpESR to coordinate distributed protests ....... 4 Figure 1.2 Original poster from Adbusters ............................................................... 10 Figure 1.3 Call to action distributed by NYCGA ..................................................... 10 Figure 1.4 Map given to marchers by the NYCGA Tactical Committee ................. 13 Figure 4.1 TEL Injunction ...................................................................................... 150 Figure 6.1 Screenshot of directory.occupy.net ....................................................... 238 Figure 6.2 Numerous committee meetings occurring at 60 Wall ........................... 240 Figure 6.3 NYCGA at Zuccotti Park ...................................................................... 241 Figure 6.4 Tammy and Jackrabbit in the Occupied Office .................................... 248 Figure 6.5 Flyer for #D17 action ............................................................................ 254 Figure 6.6 Transporting books to Duarte Square ................................................... 256 Figure 6.7 #D17 march ........................................................................................... 260 Figure 6.8 Waiting for the traffic light to change on the #D17 march ................... 261 Figure 6.9 Protesters scaling the fence ................................................................... 262 Figure 6.10 The arrestees were paraded out of the space ......................................... 263 Figure 6.11 Granny Peace Brigade at #D17 ............................................................. 263 Figure 6.12 Night March on #D17 ........................................................................... 265 vii Figure 6.13 The Gym at Pace (numerous clusters occurring simultaneously) ......... 268 Figure 6.14 Spokes Council Meeting (Video still from my camera) ....................... 276 Figure 7.1 Clay’s network diagrams ...................................................................... 394 Figure 7.3 Map.Occupy.Net of #SolidaritySunday/ #J29 Actions ......................... 319 Figure 7.3 Information on Occupy LA’s #SolidaritySunday/ #J29 action ............. 319 Figure 7.4 Flyer for the #F29 action ....................................................................... 338 Figure 8.1 Screenshot of the first Occupy Sandy Facebook Post ........................... 368 Figure 8.2 Screenshot of the Fusion Table’s Data ................................................. 371 Figure 8.3 Screenshot of the Occupy Sandy Locations .......................................... 371 Figure 8.4 Screenshot of Occupy Sandy’s Wedding Registry ............................... 378 viii LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1 Communication Infrastructure of Networked Social Movements ........... 38 Table 5.1 Hand Signals of The Occupy Movement ............................................... 182 Table 7.1 Structure of InterOccupy ........................................................................ 310 ix ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am deeply appreciative of those who have shaped my intellectual trajectory throughout this work, particularly Martha Lampland, who encouraged me to engage in this fieldwork. My committee, Isaac Martin, Manuel Castells, Geoffrey Bowker, Kelly Gates, and Charlie Thorpe, provided professional advice and personal reassurance during the fieldwork and writing phases of this dissertation. I was very fortunate to have found such a dedicated and erudite group of professors who were sincerely interested in the possibilities of this project. As well, I could not have completed this without the generosity of those who sat down for interviews, published streams of information, and shared in the Occupy Movement. Because many of these people blur the lines between mentors, friends, and family, I made a list of those who have been incredibly generous with their time, talents, and support: Elizabeth