Probing the Implications of Facebook Use of the Organizational Form of Social Movement Organizations

Abstract

This is the unspecified version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Each camp had a presence on Facebook through a number of different outlets such as fan pages, groups or individual accounts. This article explores the communication on the Facebook groups of the protest camps in order to further the nascent, though timely, scholarship on the application of social media to protest (see Harlow and Harp, 2012). There is currently much debate about their contribution to channelling discontent into embodied collective action (Gladwell, 2010;Fenton and Barassi, 2011;Segerberg and Bennett, 2011). Permanent repository linkThe decision to scrutinise activist communication on Facebook was grounded on previous suggestions that social movement organisations (SMOs) have been historically adroit at strategically harnessing ICTs not least to draw popular support to their causes (Castells, 2009;Chadwick, 2007). Social networking sites in particular have been regarded by social movement activists as holding promising potential for mobilisation into collective action (Harlow and Harp, 2012). Nonetheless, the organisational ramifications of their usage are only beginning to be systematically addressed (Juris, 2012).What scope is there for a democratic expansion of SMO organisational forms through SNS communication? SMO organisational forms meet social mediaThe organisational form of an SMO represents its internal structure of interpersonal relations (Clemens, 1996). Organisational form has been described as a reflection of a purposive strategy to mobilise participants in collective action and to maintain engagement in it (Clemens, 1996; Tarrow, 1998: 124).There are indications that "social network sites pose a challenge to existing hierarchies in organisations-both within the formal political system and without" (Gustafsson, 2012:13).This article takes as a starting point emergent evidence that organisational boundaries are becoming increasingly porous and SMOs are experimenting with organisational forms to face up to more transient involvement in their actions, mediated by ICTs (Flanagin et al., 2006).The effects of ICTs on organisational forms may be particularly challenging in sectors where they exacerbate existing dilemmas (Desanctis and Fulk, 1999). For instance, social movement organisations have been markedly susceptible to a scrutiny of their openness and democratic conduct (see Hirschman, 1970; della Porta and Diani, 2006:135-40; Gamson, 4 4 1991). SMOs have had to reconcile leadership requirements that centralize decision-making with a moral imperative to make their decisions more democratic (Klandermans, 1997:134).Nonetheless, it seems unlikely that SMOs would follow a linear path to a technologically mediated democratisation of their organisational form. Rather, there has been significant restraint in how they interact with their online audience through websites, which are chiefly employed for the top-down relay of information (Stein, 2009). This assessment,...

The social media overture of the pan-European Stop-ACTA protest

“…The Indignados Movement in Spain and the transnational Occupy Movement are exemplars of the latter development (Bennett and Segerberg, 2012;Castells, 2012;Mercea et al, 2013). Their lack of a central organisational structure erected by established, 'brick-andmortar' movement organisations testifies to the complex user-driven networked communication fuelling and maintaining them (Bennett and Segerberg, 2012;Castells, 2012;Juris, 2012).…”

“…(see also Mercea, 2013). The coding categories were established with an understanding that online, text-based communication is a vehicle for performing action online as well as for signifying embodied action in an ecology devoid of physical presence (Herring, 2004).…”

Do Not Close My School: Facebook, Occupations and Demonstrations for Promoting Social Change

“…With the advent of Social Networking Sites (SNS) such as Facebook and Tweeter, communicating, sharing information and mobilizing people [5], [6] has become a means to redefine public spaces [7]. The communicative processes inside SNS can also play the role of a mediational tool for collective activism [8] and for enabling different opportunities for collective activities [9].…”

Non-public eParticipation in Social Media Spaces

“…Political issues are discussed and public events are organised in both public and private spaces and this is paralleled online. For example, emails are sent to personal (private) accounts to promote public e-petitions [6] and activists organise via nonpublic Facebook groups [7]. This paper focuses on similar activities taking place on non-public social media, comparing them to activities in other spaces.…”