Response #3 to "MOAR digital activism, please"

Nikki Ramirez

Goodling, Lauri. "MOAR digital activism, please." Kairos 19.3 (2015). published in Kairos: Rhetoric, Technology, Pedagogy 19(3)

LINK: http://kairos.technorhetoric.net/19.3/topoi/goodling/index.html


Sumamry:

Goodling takes an interactive digital approach to writing and formatting her article I highly suggest clicking the link and taking a look! For the purpose of my sub area of interest I will be focusing on the first 5 out of 10 sections on her digital page. In the first section she talks about a survey she conducted with some of her online social media friends aged 17-70. She wanted to discover how civically engaged the people she knew were. She juggles the terms 'slacktivism", "clicktivism," and BoTG (boots on the ground) forms of activism and asks the question, are young people interested in being activists? And are the latter more or less affective forms of activism in comparisons to BoTG? She goes on to talk about the new forms of communication i.e. the internet and how many are quick to judge online activists. She argues that the internet and SNS (social networking sites) have been fundamental tools for many large and helpful revolutions and forms of activism happening in contemporary issues. She talks about research that has been done at other centers regarding recent social justice issues around the world and in many cases SNS were utilized, and in large part, responsible for allowing protests, assemblages and resistance to happen. Goodling maintains that, digital activism even in the smallest form is effective because it allows others to become aware of things they otherwise might not have been exposed to and could in return cause them to do something about it. Even that small probability is worth something for Goodling.

Response:

I really appreciate when a author is personally invested in their research and it reads through the pages and comes across as genuine. Goodling's argument resonates deeply with me. I am very vocal online about my political ideologies and it is the whole reason I chose this topic. Because of online activism I am able to keep up with demonstrations and make arrangements to attend them. IT is a part of my digital identity. Goodling is aware that there are many critics on the opposite end of her argument waiting to discredit online activism. What she does with this is, she presents their arguments in her paper, links to them and even quotes them. I really like this approach to writing. To me, it makes her argument stronger. She alludes to Quintillian , civic rhetoric and Hortensia's public speech regarding taxation in ancient Roman times. An aspect that adds massive ethos to her arguments in my opinion. She is basically saying 'hey this was happening before in public spaces already and evolves over time' and that evolution includes digital public or as she calls 'counterpublic spaces.' Goodling uses research to back up all the claims she makes and calls on educators in the pedagogical section of her article to make sure they are doing their civic duty to encourage students to write with a purpose.


Quotes:

“If social media is examined closely, it becomes clear that the kind of activism conducted digitally encompasses many of the already valued face-to-face forms of activism.”

“Where street papers and ‘zines have long served as a vehicle for expression of ideas and individuals who do not fit neatly into a dominant place in mainstream society, online spaces continue to provide an opening and a medium for the establishment of such “counterpublics” (Asen, 2000; Hauser, 1998; Warner, 2005)”

“Social media forums—discussion boards, Facebook, Twitter, Volkalize, Blogger and Wordpress—offer community building and networking opportunities, prompting the establishment of new publics. They have become something of a blend between the Habermasian salon (a space where individuals converge to discuss and debate issues of a civic, community, or political nature) and Gerard A. Hauser’s (1998) public sphere, a “discursive space in which individuals and groups associate to discuss matters of mutual interest, and, where possible, to reach a common judgment about them” (p. 21).”

 “Because of the highly interactive nature of online spaces, digital activism allows for vastly creative forms of rhetoric (both visual and sonic) that could not be accomplished simultaneously in print media or underground radio prior to the existence of Web 2.0. Add to this the massive distribution and circulation capabilities of online activism (through “liking” and “sharing” and “retweeting” activist messages), and it becomes clear why this new digitally mediated space is one with tremendous potential for outreach, education, and influence—indeed, social change.”

 “Perhaps most valuable is that digital media, unlike its alternative and activist media predecessors, effectively disrupts the existing power dynamics in politics and media, making it an ideal situation for activists to do their work. This shift in dynamic puts the power in the hands of the user as one who transmits and circulates at her will, on her timeframe, and to the extent she desires. It levels the playing field to some degree, and it provides opportunity for voices to be heard that might otherwise be ignored by those holding the reigns in politics and media.”