The new frontier of activism - a study of the conditioning factors for the role of modern day activists Master’s Thesis Andreas Holbak Espersen | MSocSc Political Communication & Management Søren Walther Bjerregård | MSc International Business & Politics Supervisor Erik Caparros Højbjerg | Departmenent of Management, Politics and Philosophy Submitted 7th November 2016 | STUs: 251.792 Table of Contents Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 0 - Research question and literature review ....................................................................................... 6 0.1 Preface ............................................................................................................................................................................................... 7 0.2 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................................... 8 0.2.1 Research area .................................................................................................................................................................... 9 0.3 Literature review ...................................................................................................................................................................... 11 0.3.1 Activism in International Relations perspective ................................................................................. 11 0.3.2 Activism and early social movement theory ...................................................................................... 13 0.3.3 Online activism and political decision making .................................................................................. 14 Chapter 1 – Analytical strategy .......................................................................................................................................... 17 1.1 Theory of science: Social constructivism .......................................................................................................... 18 1.2 Analytical strategy .................................................................................................................................................................. 19 1.2.1 ‘The Political’ and Foucault’s ‘dispositif’ ..................................................................................................... 19 1.2.2. Methodological eclecticism ............................................................................................................................... 21 1.3 Genealogy ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 22 1.3.1 Foucault as inspiration............................................................................................................................................... 22 1.3.2 Executing our genealogy ....................................................................................................................................... 23 1.3.3 The archive ..........................................................................................................................................................................25 1.3.4 Delimitation in the genealogy ............................................................................................................................25 1.4 Case study .....................................................................................................................................................................................27 1.4.1 Quantitative methods .................................................................................................................................................27 1.4.2 Selection and processing of qualitative textual empirical data ......................................... 31 1.5 Summary of analytical strategy ................................................................................................................................. 32 Chapter 2 – The genealogy of activism ..................................................................................................................... 34 2.1 Propaganda ................................................................................................................................................................................. 36 2.1.1 Propaganda as expressed art ............................................................................................................................ 36 2.1.2 Petitions ................................................................................................................................................................................. 39 2.1.3 Propaganda in mass mediated modern campaigns .................................................................... 41 2.1.4 Summary: Propaganda as technology ......................................................................................................42 2.2 Intervention ..................................................................................................................................................................................42 2.2.1 Sabotage .............................................................................................................................................................................. 43 2.2.2 Obstructions and occupations ......................................................................................................................... 44 2.2.3. Summary: Intervention as technology .................................................................................................... 46 Page 2 2.3 Boycott ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 46 2.3.1 Summary: boycott as technology ................................................................................................................. 49 2.4 Strike .................................................................................................................................................................................................. 49 2.4.1 Summary: Strike as technology ....................................................................................................................... 51 2.5 Processions .................................................................................................................................................................................. 51 2.5.1 Summary: Technology of Procession ....................................................................................................... 54 2.6 The dispositif of activism ................................................................................................................................................ 54 2.7 Chapter summary ................................................................................................................................................................. 56 Chapter 3 – Contemporary online activism – a case study ........................................................................ 58 3.1 Architecture of the Internet .......................................................................................................................................... 60 3.1.1 The Internet Protocol (IP) ....................................................................................................................................... 60 3.1.2 The Domain Name System (DNS) ................................................................................................................. 61 3.1.3 Centralized coordination of the DNS .......................................................................................................... 61 3.1.4 Internet infrastructure as proxy for intellectual property enforcement ..................... 62 3.2 SOPA/PIPA legislation ...................................................................................................................................................... 63 3.2.1 Co-sponsors’ purpose with the bills ........................................................................................................... 63 3.2.2 Foreign and domestic internet sites ........................................................................................................... 64 3.2.3 Actions and jurisdiction .......................................................................................................................................... 64 3.2.4 Actions by other entities than the Attorney General................................................................... 65 3.2.5 Review of consequences - constitutional, technical and IP rights ................................ 66 3.2.6 Technical consequences: .................................................................................................................................... 67 3.2.7 Development of IPR practices if proceeded ...................................................................................... 67 3.2.8 Summary: What was the issue? ....................................................................................................................