Social Media, Networked Protest, and the March for Science

Abstract

Recent studies have explored how the US public responded to the March for Science protests that took place around the world on April 22, 2017, as well as why individuals participated in these protests. Yet, little research has examined how participants used social media and other channels to learn, communicate, and form behavioral intentions regarding the movement. In addressing these questions, the present study conceptualizes the March for Science as a “networked protest.” It then analyzes data from two surveys: one distributed through social media in the month preceding the March for Science events, and one conducted at the Washington, DC event. The results suggest that social media—particularly Facebook—played key roles in how respondents learned and communicated about the protest. At the same time, respondents also learned and communicated about it through other channels, including texting, email, and face-to-face conversations. Both social media respondents and in-person respondents reported that their experiences with the March had increased their likelihood of undertaking future online and offline actions. Furthermore, communicating through Facebook and Twitter predicted a range of self-reported effects of March experiences on intentions to undertake future actions, whereas learning through social media largely failed to do so. Thus, some—but not all—social media uses may have encouraged participants to sustain both online and offline engagement. Taken together, the findings carry potential implications for how the March for Science and other networked protests can use social media and other communication forms to mobilize supporters and facilitate long-term engagement.

The Role of Digital Communities in Organizing Gig Workers

“…These three items were summed into a "social interaction" scale that returned a Cronbach's alpha of 0.75 (mean = 2.03, SD = 0.89). This scale was similar to other studies of digital connections and political action (texting, e-mail, face-to-face, and social media; Ley and Brewer 2018).…”

“…This scale was similar to other studies of digital connections and political action (texting, e-mail, face-to-face, and social media; Ley and Brewer 2018). Drivers were asked to evaluate the frequency with which they (1) texted with other drivers, (2) interacted with drivers in face-to-face meetings, and (3) engaged with drivers on social media.…”

“…For example, studies have found that individuals who interact on Web 2.0 social networks are more likely to engage in sustained political participation (Bond et al 2012;Earl and Kimport 2011;Lim 2012;Sandoval-Almazan and Gil-Garcia 2014). Others have found that these interactions are associated with both partaking in public protests and a desire to maintain participation in the future (Hara 2008;Harlow 2011;Ley and Brewer 2018). While this framework has been applied to political movements, like the Women's March and the Arab Spring (Tufecki 2017), it unclear if workers use online networks in a similar fashion.…”

Facts, Opinions, and Scientific Memes: Reflections of and Recommendations for the March for Science in Germany

“…Several previous studies have examined the characteristics of March for Science participants (e.g., Fisher ; Ley and Brewer ), their motives and goals (e.g., Myers et al ; Ross et al ), and public responses to the March for Science itself (e.g., Funk and Rainie ; Motta ). However, these prior studies have all focused on the U.S. context, despite the fact that the March for Science is a worldwide movement.…”

“…Moreover, in regard to sociodemographic makeup, marchers differed only slightly from those participating in the Women’s March in January and the People’s Climate March in April 2017; at least in the United States, the March for Science is thus seen as “part of a broader movement that has emerged to challenge the Trump administration and its policies” (Fisher :250). To organize themselves, marchers communicated predominantly via social media (Ley and Brewer ). Several scholars have even looked at how members of the U.S. public perceived the March for Science, and their perceptions seemed to differ based on political stance (Funk and Rainie ; Motta ).…”