Global-net for Global Movements? A Network of Networks for a Movement of Movements

Abstract

This article focuses on the use of Computer-Mediated Communication by the movement for global justice, with special attention to the organisations involved in the movement and its activists. We examined data collected during two supranational protest events: the anti-G8 protest in Genoa in July 2001 and the European Social Forum (ESF) in Florence in November 2002. In both cases, we have complemented an analysis of the Genoa Social Forum and ESF websites with a survey of activists, including questions about their use of the Internet. We then examine hypotheses about changes new technologies introduce in collective action. The Internet empowers social movements in: (a) purely instrumental ways (an additional logistical resource for ‘resource-poor’ actors), (b) a protest function (direct expression of protest); (c) symbolically (as a medium favouring identification processes in collective actors) and (d) cognitively (informing and sensitising public opinion).

Tecnología, redes sociales, política y periodismo. ¿Pluralidad informativa o efecto bumerán?

“…En cambio, si el movimiento logra expandirse en Internet y las redes sociales, se registra una mayor sensibilidad de la opinión pública hacia sus objetivos (Della Porta & Mosca, 2004).…”

The Impossible Mission: Global Justice Movement Against Transnational Organized Crime

“…Fourth, GJM activists' focus on issues changes according to the activists' ideological priorities, such as social justice, anti-war activism, environmentalism or multiple ideologies. Finally, GJM protests in the world and various actions are not coordinated from just one center in a systematic manner but rather each movement is mainly independent even if each has its own organization (Della Porta and Mosca, 2005).…”

NetWorking/Networking: Citizen Initiated Internet Politics

“…Other scholars claim that it can reduce political inequalities (Meyers 2001). Indeed, the Internet multiplies the channels for political information and participation at the individual level, provides new opportunities for communication, mobilisation and interaction at the organisational level, and creates new pluralistic public spheres where citizens can discuss issues of general interest directed towards to the public good at the macro level (della Porta & Mosca 2005a). The effects of the Internet have been discussed over many important fi elds, including its impact on participation and pluralism.…”

“…Hence, the Internet is to be considered as a locus, channel, and to some extent even a temporal space for political and communicative action, participation, and mobilisation. Donk et al 2004;della Porta & Mosca 2005;Häyhtiö & Rinne in this volume. ) Various uses of the Internet facilitate different civic networks and organisations to introduce their aims and strategies, and to outreach target groups and members of the public.…”

“…Electronic networks have been considered the backbone of new transnational social movements 2 which gained media visibility from "the battle of Seattle" on . Being bi-directional, interactive and cost-less, they allow for the construction of new public spheres where social movements can organise mobilisations, discuss and negotiate their claims, strengthen their identities, sensitise public opinion and directly express acts of dissent (della Porta & Mosca 2005a).…”