Weekly Discussion

Alejandro Aguirre

March 2, 2014

SOC 122 – M/W 3:30 PM

Kubal

 

Weekly Discussion

     

      The Personalization of Politics: Political Identity, Social Media, and Changing Patterns of Participation, seems to explain how social movements fare with methods of protesting and how belonging to a certain community influences these performances. First, it was explained how people belonging to a heterogeneous community are more likely to participate in protests than those from a homogenous atmosphere. The reason why the latter community is less participating involves people’s dependence on modern technologies (i.e. cell phones, tablets, computers, etc.). It was mentioned that although the use of these technologies can still be of great benefit, it can also be detrimental to a certain degree in social movements. The benefit is that a cause is more likely to reach a wider audience with the internet. The disadvantage, on the other hand, is that the technologies can distract or segregate people from those who are protesting the same cause that they are.

 

http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/students/envs_5720/bennett_2012.pdf

 

 

      The article, Making the News: Movement Organizations, Media Attention, and the Public Agenda, explains what kind of movement organizations receive the most and least media attention and how the public agenda is influenced by both of these factors. For example, it was mentioned that confrontational or volunteer-led groups, or those that advocate on the behalf of novel issues do not receive as much attention in local media outlets. This article also covers the upper hand on using the internet for an increase in visibility for social movements. However, such visibility can be extinguished with what reporters decide to broadcast and not to broadcast. It was noted that where a tactic may prove effective in one location and/or era, it may not be the case at a different location and/or era. Despite this, the rule of thumb for heightening newsworthiness is to use outsider tactics, which provide drama conflict, and novelty.

 

http://kta.web.unc.edu/files/2011/08/AndrewsCaren_ASR2010.pdf