New W(h)ines in New Bottles? Voicing Protest in the Digital Age

Abstract

This panel is jointly coordinated with the section in "Internet and Politics: Bridging Current Research and Outlining Future Directions. Civil society is cited as a prerequisite for traditional, stable and durable democratic systems. It has gained momentum and influence at local, national and global levels, holding governments accountable, advocating democratic values as well as implementing programmes and policies traditionally located within the realm of government. The increasing importance of networked protest and collective action as a facet of political contestation is a feature of the modern landscape. Such collective action engenders new forms of "networked" action and collaboration that both enhance and to some extent shape offline contestation. The notion of civil society has been challenged by the networking possibilities of ICTs (e.g. transnational neo-fascist movements). ICT’s can also have a darker side. With the increasing impact of ICTs the internal and external structures and functions of civil society and its relations vis-à-vis government/state are evolving and changing. Cyberactivism, plays a growing role in influencing governments. Cyberactivism is often a subject of contestation with internet use being cajoled by government for some activities but demonised as vaguely threatening and undemocratic in others. Social Networking is increasing connectivity not just of social engagements but also of political concerns and provides springboards for political campaigns/manifestations. The plethora of social network sites with their differing formats, contents and memberships provide a major challenge to governments’ hopes of controlling or spinning their activities. The governments´ responses to this re-personalisation of collective protest activities range from attempts to contain, restrain or even demonise cyberactivism, through to utilising ICTs themselves, in order to influence cyber debates. This panel examines differing forms of cyberactivism, the rise of globalised virtual netizens as essential building blocks of civil society in a digitally enabled world, the formation of a globalised virtual civil society and its meaning for national governments, the positive/negative impacts of cyberactivism on policy-making, and governmental reactions.

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