Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric Sep 2010 Open Access

Social Change through Digital Means

Brian Bailie ; Collette Caton

Abstract

Despite the significant role digital technology has played in social movements, including the political protests in Iran last year, many still doubt the ability of these technologies to foster civic engagement and social change. In “Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be Tweeted,” Malcolm Gladwell claims the enthusiasm for social media is “outsized,” and that 50 years after the Civil Rights Movement we’ve (“we” meaning Americans writ large) “seem to have forgotten what activism is.” Gladwell’s analysis highlights many short comings of social networking technologies, and moreover, makes (very) clear his distinction between social networks performing one-off acts of kindness and hierarchical organizations making “real” social change.

Journal
Reflections: A Journal of Community-Engaged Writing and Rhetoric
Published
2010-09-01
DOI
10.59236/rjv10i1pp1-4
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Topics
service learning social media
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References (4)

  1. "Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be Tweeted." The New Yorker. Condé Nast Digital, 4 Oct. 2010.
  2. Mathieu (2005)
    Tactics of Hope: The Public Turn in English Composition
  3. "Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be Tweeted." The New Yorker. Condé Nast Digital, 4 Oct. 2010.
  4. Mathieu (2005)
    Tactics of Hope: The Public Turn in English Composition
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