Synopses & Reviews
andlt;Pandgt;Much attention has been paid in recent years to the emergence of "Internet activism," but scholars and pundits disagree about whether online political activity is different in kind from more traditional forms of activism. Does the global reach and blazing speed of the Internet affect the essential character or dynamics of online political protest? In Digitally Enabled Social Change, Jennifer Earl and Katrina Kimport examine key characteristics of Web activism and investigate their impacts on organizing and participation. Earl and Kimport argue that the Web offers two key affordances relevant to activism: sharply reduced costs for creating, organizing, and participating in protest; and the decreased need for activists to be physically together in order to act together. A rally can be organized and demonstrators recruited entirely online, without the cost of printing and mailing; an activist can create an online petition in minutes and gather e-signatures from coast to coast using only her laptop. Drawing on evidence from samples of online petitions, boycotts, and letter-writing and e-mailing campaigns, Earl and Kimport show that the more these affordances are leveraged, the more transformative the changes to organizing and participating in protest; the less these affordances are leveraged, the more superficial the changes. The rally organizers, for example, can save money on communication and coordination, but the project of staging the rally remains essentially the same. Tools that allow a single activist to create and circulate a petition entirely online, however, enable more radical changes in the process. The transformative nature of these changes, Earl and Kimport suggest, demonstrate the need to revisit long-standing theoretical assumptions about social movements. andlt;/Pandgt;
Review
“A provocative look at how e-activism is changing the nature of contentious politics. Social movement scholars may want to rethink some of their assumptions.”
—W. Lance Bennett, Ruddick C. Lawrence Professor of Communication and Professor of Political Science, University of Washington, and Director, Center for Communication &Civic Engagement“Earl and Kimport deliver a compelling and layered argument that dissects how and when activists’ uses of the Web profoundly alter the fields of power that organize social movements (and, just as importantly, when the Web doesn’t matter all that much). If you want to know how Web-based mobilizations, movements, and tactics have irrevocably redefined activism, read this book! It is critical reading for digital media scholars but also a must-read for anyone who cares about grassroots organizing and social change.”
—Mary L. Gray, Department of Communication and Culture, Indiana University“Jennifer Earl and Katrina Kimport convincingly apply the classical concerns of social movement theory to mobilization in today’s media environment. They reveal that many of the roles that were once the unique domain of social movement organizations are now melting away in the era of Web-enabled collective—and individual—action. This book has wide-ranging significance for the study of sociology, politics, and communication.”
—Andrew Chadwick, Professor of Political Science and Codirector of the New Political Communication Unit, Royal Holloway, University of London“Even as e-tactics have proliferated and commentators have advanced hyperbolic claims for the effectiveness of cyber activism, systematic studies of this brave new world have lagged behind. No more. With their groundbreaking study of ‘digitally enabled social change,’ Earl and Kimport have gone a long way toward filling the void. Must-reading for anyone who hopes to understand online and offline activism in the age of the Internet.”
—Doug McAdam, Professor of Sociology, Stanford University
Review
"A provocative look at how e-activism is changing the nature of contentious politics. Social movement scholars may want to rethink some of their assumptions." W. Lance Bennett , Ruddick C. Lawrence Professor of Communication and Professor of Political Science, University of Washington, and Director, Center for Communication & Civic Engagement The MIT Press
Review
"Earl and Kimport deliver a compelling and layered argument that dissects how and when activists' uses of the Web profoundly alter the fields of power that organize social movements (and, just as importantly, when the Web doesn't matter all that much). If you want to know how Web-based mobilizations, movements, and tactics have irrevocably redefined activism, read this book! It is critical reading for digital media scholars but also a must-read for anyone who cares about grassroots organizing and social change." Mary L. Gray , Department of Communication and Culture, Indiana University The MIT Press
Review
"Even as e-tactics have proliferated and commentators have advanced hyperbolic claims for the effectiveness of cyber activism, systematic studies of this brave new world have lagged behind. No more. With their groundbreaking study of 'digitally enabled social change,' Earl and Kimport have gone a long way toward filling the void. Must-reading for anyone who hopes to understand online and offline activism in the age of the Internet." Doug McAdam , Professor of Sociology, Stanford University The MIT Press
Review
"Jennifer Earl and Katrina Kimport convincingly apply the classical concerns of social movement theory to mobilization in today's media environment. They reveal that many of the roles that were once the unique domain of social movement organizations are now melting away in the era of Web-enabled collective -- and individual -- action. This book has wide-ranging significance for the study of sociology, politics, and communication." Andrew Chadwick , Professor of Political Science and Codirector of the New Political Communication Unit, Royal Holloway, University of London The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"A provocative look at how e-activism is changing the nature of contentious politics. Social movement scholars may want to rethink some of their assumptions." andlt;Bandgt;W. Lance Bennett andlt;/Bandgt;, Ruddick C. Lawrence Professor of Communication and Professor of Political Science, University of Washington, and Director, Center for Communication and#38; Civic Engagementandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"Earl and Kimport deliver a compelling and layered argument that dissects how and when activists' uses of the Web profoundly alter the fields of power that organize social movements (and, just as importantly, when the Web doesn't matter all that much). If you want to know how Web-based mobilizations, movements, and tactics have irrevocably redefined activism, read this book! It is critical reading for digital media scholars but also a must-read for anyone who cares about grassroots organizing and social change." andlt;Bandgt;Mary L. Gray andlt;/Bandgt;, Department of Communication and Culture, Indiana Universityandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"Even as e-tactics have proliferated and commentators have advanced hyperbolic claims for the effectiveness of cyber activism, systematic studies of this brave new world have lagged behind. No more. With their groundbreaking study of 'digitally enabled social change,' Earl and Kimport have gone a long way toward filling the void. Must-reading for anyone who hopes to understand online and offline activism in the age of the Internet." andlt;Bandgt;Doug McAdam andlt;/Bandgt;, Professor of Sociology, Stanford Universityandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andlt;Pandgt;"Jennifer Earl and Katrina Kimport convincingly apply the classical concerns of social movement theory to mobilization in today's media environment. They reveal that many of the roles that were once the unique domain of social movement organizations are now melting away in the era of Web-enabled collective -- and individual -- action. This book has wide-ranging significance for the study of sociology, politics, and communication." andlt;Bandgt;Andrew Chadwick andlt;/Bandgt;, Professor of Political Science and Codirector of the New Political Communication Unit, Royal Holloway, University of Londonandlt;/Pandgt; The MIT Press
Review
andquot;This very interesting, informative, and well-written book presents many fascinating interviews, and provides a window on one of the most contested subjects in the U.S. today. Essential.andquot;
Review
andquot;Queering Marriageand#160;is remarkable for its highly thoughtful insights into the real meaning of same-sex marriage. By telling the compelling stories of same-sex couples who participated in marriage ceremonies that played a powerful role in the movement toward marriage equality, sociologist Katrina Kimport brilliantly adjudicates competing contemporary views regarding the influence of same-sex marriage on both 'traditional marriage' and the gay and lesbian community. This beautifully written book is a must-read for any serious scholar of family, gender, sexuality, and social movements.andquot;
Review
andquot;Queering Marriage is a careful, fair, and compelling analysis of how same-sex couples navigate the multiple and often conflicting meanings of marriage; impressive, tidy, and accessible, it will also appeal to an audience unfamiliar with sociology.andquot;
Review
andquot;A smart, sensitive account of what marriage meant to, and did for, San Franciscoandrsquo;s 'Winter of Love' participants,and#160;Queering Marriageand#160;demonstrates how same-sex marriages subvert heteronormativity even as they shore it up.andquot;
Review
andquot;Queering Marriage contributes to the gay marriage debate by showcasing the power of empirical research to offer answers to assimilation versus social change arguments. An incisive story about the power of heteronormativity to validate or invalidate, legitimate or delegitimize, samesex relationships.andquot;
Review
andquot;Queering Marriage provides a compelling look into experiences of same-sex couples who married during San Franciscoandrsquo;s Winter of Love. Kimport skillfully weaves history, theory, and lived experiences to present a thoughtful analysis that attends to the complexities of same-sex marriage as both a social and political issue. It is a recommended read for anyone interested in the politics of same-sex marriage activism and practice in the United States.andquot;
Review
andquot;Queering Marriage shares stories about the impact of marriage on men and women who, though often cognizant of the transitory legality of their marriages, testified to the ways that it changed their lives. Kimport masterfully analyzes the meanings of marriage to these women and men as a way to gauge its transformative potential.andquot;
Review
andquot;This well-written and thoughtful book provides a unique window into the experiences of same-sex Americans married in this remarkable moment. The joy and love the participants felt at the time is palpable in Kimportandrsquo;s quotes, and she does a masterful job of weaving in descriptors of the respondents and their experiences and opinions into her analysis.andquot;
Synopsis
Much attention has been paid in recent years to the emergence of "Internet activism," but scholars and pundits disagree about whether online political activity is different in kind from more traditional forms of activism. Does the global reach and blazing speed of the Internet affect the essential character or dynamics of online political protest? In
Digitally Enabled Social Change, Jennifer Earl and Katrina Kimport examine key characteristics of web activism and investigate their impacts on organizing and participation.
Earl and Kimport argue that the web offers two key affordances relevant to activism: sharply reduced costs for creating, organizing, and participating in protest; and the decreased need for activists to be physically together in order to act together. Drawing on evidence from samples of online petitions, boycotts, and letter-writing and e-mailing campaigns, Earl and Kimport show that the more these affordances are leveraged, the more transformative the changes to organizing and participating in protest.
Synopsis
An investigation into how specific Web technologies can change the dynamics of organizing and participating in political and social protest.
Synopsis
Much attention has been paid in recent years to the emergence of Internet activism, but scholars and pundits disagree about whether online political activity is different in kind from more traditional forms of activism. Does the global reach and blazing speed of the Internet affect the essential character or dynamics of online political protest? In
Synopsis
andlt;Pandgt;An investigation into how specific Web technologies can change the dynamics of organizing and participating in political and social protest.andlt;/Pandgt;
Synopsis
In-depth interviews with participants in non-traditional families are used to argue that same-sex marriage cannot be understood as simply entrenching or contesting heterosexual privilege. Instead, Katrina Kimport contends that these new legally sanctioned relationships can both reinforce as well as disrupt the association of marriage and heterosexuality. She provides a nuanced, accessible, and theoretically grounded framework for understanding the powerful effect of heterosexual expectations on both sexual and social categories.
About the Author
KATRINA KIMPORT is an assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco. She is the coauthor of Digitally Enabled Social Change.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
1. The Winter of Love
2. Marrying for the Movement
3. Marrying for Rights
4. Marrying for Love
5. Gender and Parenthood
6. The Persistent Power of Marriage
7. Exposing Heteronormativity
8. Conclusion
Methodological Appendix
Notes
References
Index