When Digital Media mobilise Grassroots- A Study of Young People’s Use and Meaning of Digital Media in Mobilisation after the Clearing of “Ungdomshuset” in Copenhagen

Christie Stauning Andersen, postgraduate student in IT Lotte Lund Larsen, MSc in IT

Internet Research 9.0: Rethinking Community, Rethinking Place 16th October 2008

Agenda

1 Introduction

2 Analytical Results

3 Is Smart Mobs the Right Notion?

Problem Statement

How were digital media used in the mobilisation of youth house activist and what significance did it have?

In that sense is there a new culture of mobilisation emerging?

Method

Ethnographic study

1st Frebruary - 15th April 2008

Collected data

3 websites2 social networksites1 Gmail account

113 chain text messages

5 observations2 group interviews

Theory

Social MovementNetwork Society

Howard Rheingold: Smart Mobs

Six Types of Chain Text Messages

1 The Urgent Type

"Trouble in the centre of

Christiania - the police have

shot a puppy and threatened

people with guns. come and

give your support! forward

this quickly"Chain text message, 2nd April 2008

1 The Urgent Type

"Like this urgent message as

in, if you don't come now, it

might be over in an hour, so

this is also relevant to you"

Girl 18 years old

2 The Informative Type

"THEY BROKE OUR HEART – NOT OUR

SPIRIT! Big popular demo on the 1-year

anniversary for the clearing of jagtvej 69.

1st March at 12 from Nørrebro

sportscentre to Christiania to City Hall

ASSquare where there'll be music,

performance and street cake. Bring

everyone and their grandparents along!

The fight goes on! Forwd."Chain text message, 29th February 2008

3 News

"New Youth House on

Dortheavej! Read

politiken.dk B-)"

Chain text message, 14th March 2008

4 The Affirmative Type

"Well it's also sometimes (…) then

there are like some people who send

stuff like that around, which doesn't

really contain anything, which is just

like pat yourself on the back we're

really cool or..."

Girl 17 years old

5 The Regulative Type

“Dont start riots tonight! We are a

movement who sometimes use

militant stradegy! Not a hooligan

group! The political proces is still on!

We will fight another day! Dont do

something stupid, just for one night of

riots and fun! Be smart! Take care.

Spread the word”

Chain text message, 1st March 2008

6 The Festive Type

"Come! - Friday Bar this Friday April

4th in Bumzen. Nulle &

Verdensorkestret are playing that

funky music at 19.30 and Mekanisk

will take care of the bar, tall tales, and

wicked style.... It'll be a party!!"

Chain text message, 30th March 2008

Waves of Chain Text Messages

Many Processes of Mobilisation and Demobilisation

at the Same Time

That Is all Smart Mobs - But How?

A Huge and Intelligent Potential of Diffusion

Mobile Phone Subscriptions

“(…) then I know this and that person

in that network and for example know

that this person always forwards to

such and such a large network I know,

right? Then maybe instead of sending

it to everyone I know, I'll send it to

three different people who I know all

have their networks.”

Girl 17 years old

Girl 17 years old

“(…) at the same time I also

know someone, where I know

that they know, that I know

when they get the chain

message about something (…)”

Coordination not Planning

Smart Mobs Is Inadequate

Emergent Culture of Mobilisation

More information

Slideshow: slideshare.com/lolula

Our blog: mobilspeciale.dk

Contact: mail@mobilspeciale.dk