Author: Valeriy D. Solovey
Communicology. 2017. Vol.5. No.5
Solovey Valeriy Dmitrievich, head of the Сhair of Public Relations, professor, Dr. Sci. (Hist.), Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Address: 119454, Moscow, Vernadskogo Av., 76. E-mail: valery.solovei@gmail.com.
Abstract. The article considers the role and significance of the Internet and social media in the emergence and development of political and civil movements, including revolutions. The experience of the “Arab spring”, the Occupy Wall Street movement and the political protest in Russia for the last seven years are analyzed. Contrary to a popular belief, social media had not been the main driver of the revolutions and coups for the last decade. Even in the countries with an expanded Internet, protests and media activities may not be connected. The whole dynamics of coups and revolutions was dying the last 45 years. Because of serious reasons the influence of social media in political and civic movements will only increase over time. However, ultimately the outcome of political battles will be decided on the ground, and not in the virtual space.
Keywords: Internet, social media, politics, protest, revolution, Google, Facebook, Twitter
Text: PDF
For citation: Solovey V.D. Social Media as a Tool of Political Changes: opportunities and limitations. Communicology (Russia). Vol. 5. No. 5. 15-23 DOI 10.21453 / 2311-3065-2017-5-5-15-23
References
Reuter O., Szakonyi R. (2013). Online Social Media and Political Awareness in Authoritarian Regimes. In: British Journal of Political Science. Vol. 45. No. 1. P. 1-23. URL:
https://www.hse.ru/mirror/pubs/lib/data/access/ram/ticket/15/150166796396c47df5b016aa fdd8933977d2a80c55/10PS2012.pdf (accessed 02.08.2017).
Solovey V.D. (2015). Absolyutnoe oruzhie. Osnovy psikhologicheskoi voiny i mediamanipulirovaniya [Ultimate Weapon. Basics of Psychological War and Media Manipulation]. M.: “E” Publishing House, 320 p. (In Russ.).
Solovey V.D. (2016). Revolyution! Osnovy revolyutsionnoi bor’by v sovremennuyu epokhu [Revolution! Basics of the Revolutionary Struggle in the Modern Epoch]. M.: Eksmo Publishing House, 2016. 320 p. (In Russ.).
Green Samuel B., Robertson Graham B. (2016). Sposobnost’ k protestu sokhranyayetsya [The Ability to Protest Persists]. In: Kontrapunkt. 2016. No. 3 (April). URL: http://www.counter-point.org/ greene_robertson_3/ (accessed 31.07. 2017). (In Russ.).
White S., McAlister I. (2014). Did Russia Nearly have a Facebook Revolution in 2011? Social Media’s Challenge to Authoritariansim. In: Politcis. 2014. Vol. 34. No. 1. P.72-84. URL: http://dx.doi. org/10.1111/1467-9256.12037 (accessed 02.08.2017).
Smyth R., Oates S. (2015). Mind the Gaps: Media Use and Mass Action in Russia. In: Europe-Asia Studeis. Vol. 67. No. 2. P. 285-305. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2014.1002682 (accessed 02.08.2017).
Gonzalez-Bailon S., Borge-Holdhoefer J., Rivero A., Moreno Y. (2011). The Dynamics of Protest Recruitment through an Online Network. In: Nature Scientific Reports. No. 1. URL: https://www. nature.com/articles/srep00197 (accessed 02.08.2017).
Borge-Holdhoefer J., Rivero A., Garsia I., Cauhe E., Ferrer A., et al. (2011). Structural and Dynamical Patterns on online Social Networks: The Spanish May 15th Movement as a Case Study. In: PLoS ONE. 2011. Vol. 8. No. 6. URL: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0023883 (accessed 02.08.2017).
Gonzalez-Bailon S., Wang N. (2016). Networked Discontent: The Anatomy of Protest Campaigns in Social Media. In: Social Networks. 2016. Vol. 44. P. 95-104. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. socnet.2015.07.003 (accessed 02.08.2017).
Trere E. (2015). Reclaiming, Proclaiming, and Maintaining Collective Identity in the #YouSoy132 Movement in Mexico: an Examination of Digital Frontstage and Backstage Activism Through Social Media and Instant Messaging Platforms. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No.
8. P.905-915. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1043744 (accessed 09.05.2017). Bastos Marko T., Mercea Dan, Charpentier Arthur. (2015). Tents, Tweets, and Events: The Interplay
Between Ongoing Protests and Social Media. In: Journal of Communication. Vol. 65. Issue 2. P.320-350. URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcom.12145/full (accessed 05.08.2017).
Bakardijeva M. (2015). Do Clouds Have Politics? Collective Actors in Social Media Land. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 983-990. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/ 1369118X.2015.1043320 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Coretti L., Pica D. (2015). The Rise and Fall of Collective Identity in Networked Movements: Communication Protocols, Facebook, and Anti-Berlusconi Protest. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 951-967. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1043317 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Gerbaudo P. (2015). Protest Avatars as Memetic Signifiers: Political Profile Pictures and the Construction of Collective Identity on Social Media in the 2011 Protest Wave. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 916-929. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/136911 8X.2015.1043316 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Gerbaudo P., Trere E. (2015). In Search of the ‘We’ of Social Media Activism: Introduction to the Special Issue on Social Media and Protest Identities // Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 865-871. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1043319 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Kavada A. (2015). Creating the Collective: Social Media, the Occupy Movement and Its Constitution as a Collective Actor. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 872-887. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1043318 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Milan S. (2015). From Social Movements to Cloud Protesting: the Evolution of Collective Identity. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 887-900. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.10 80/1369118X.2015.1043318 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Wael Ghonim. (2012). Revolutsiya 2.0: Dokumental’nyy roman [Revolution 2.0]. SPb: Lenizdat, Komanda A, 352 p. (In Russ.).
Kanalley Craig. (2011). Occupy Wall Street: Social Media’s Role in Social Change. In: Huffington Post. October 6. URL: http://www/huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/06/occupy-wall-street-socialmedia_n999178.html (accessed 07.08.2017).
Green Samuel B., Robertson Graham B. (2016). Sposobnost’ k protestu sokhranyayetsya [The Ability to Protest Persists]. In: Kontrapunkt, No. 3 (April). P. 5. URL: http://www.counter-point.org/ greene_robertson_3/ (accessed 31.07. 2017). (In Russ.).
Bastos Marko T., Mercea Dan, Charpentier Arthur. (2015). Tents, Tweets, and Events: The Interplay Between Ongoing Protests and Social Media. In: Journal of Communication. 2015. Vol. 65. Issue 2. P. 320-350. URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcom.12145/full (accessed 05.08.2017).
Communicology. 2017. Vol.5. No.5
Solovey Valeriy Dmitrievich, head of the Сhair of Public Relations, professor, Dr. Sci. (Hist.), Moscow State Institute of International Relations (University) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. Address: 119454, Moscow, Vernadskogo Av., 76. E-mail: valery.solovei@gmail.com.
Abstract. The article considers the role and significance of the Internet and social media in the emergence and development of political and civil movements, including revolutions. The experience of the “Arab spring”, the Occupy Wall Street movement and the political protest in Russia for the last seven years are analyzed. Contrary to a popular belief, social media had not been the main driver of the revolutions and coups for the last decade. Even in the countries with an expanded Internet, protests and media activities may not be connected. The whole dynamics of coups and revolutions was dying the last 45 years. Because of serious reasons the influence of social media in political and civic movements will only increase over time. However, ultimately the outcome of political battles will be decided on the ground, and not in the virtual space.
Keywords: Internet, social media, politics, protest, revolution, Google, Facebook, Twitter
Text: PDF
For citation: Solovey V.D. Social Media as a Tool of Political Changes: opportunities and limitations. Communicology (Russia). Vol. 5. No. 5. 15-23 DOI 10.21453 / 2311-3065-2017-5-5-15-23
References
Reuter O., Szakonyi R. (2013). Online Social Media and Political Awareness in Authoritarian Regimes. In: British Journal of Political Science. Vol. 45. No. 1. P. 1-23. URL:
https://www.hse.ru/mirror/pubs/lib/data/access/ram/ticket/15/150166796396c47df5b016aa fdd8933977d2a80c55/10PS2012.pdf (accessed 02.08.2017).
Solovey V.D. (2015). Absolyutnoe oruzhie. Osnovy psikhologicheskoi voiny i mediamanipulirovaniya [Ultimate Weapon. Basics of Psychological War and Media Manipulation]. M.: “E” Publishing House, 320 p. (In Russ.).
Solovey V.D. (2016). Revolyution! Osnovy revolyutsionnoi bor’by v sovremennuyu epokhu [Revolution! Basics of the Revolutionary Struggle in the Modern Epoch]. M.: Eksmo Publishing House, 2016. 320 p. (In Russ.).
Green Samuel B., Robertson Graham B. (2016). Sposobnost’ k protestu sokhranyayetsya [The Ability to Protest Persists]. In: Kontrapunkt. 2016. No. 3 (April). URL: http://www.counter-point.org/ greene_robertson_3/ (accessed 31.07. 2017). (In Russ.).
White S., McAlister I. (2014). Did Russia Nearly have a Facebook Revolution in 2011? Social Media’s Challenge to Authoritariansim. In: Politcis. 2014. Vol. 34. No. 1. P.72-84. URL: http://dx.doi. org/10.1111/1467-9256.12037 (accessed 02.08.2017).
Smyth R., Oates S. (2015). Mind the Gaps: Media Use and Mass Action in Russia. In: Europe-Asia Studeis. Vol. 67. No. 2. P. 285-305. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09668136.2014.1002682 (accessed 02.08.2017).
Gonzalez-Bailon S., Borge-Holdhoefer J., Rivero A., Moreno Y. (2011). The Dynamics of Protest Recruitment through an Online Network. In: Nature Scientific Reports. No. 1. URL: https://www. nature.com/articles/srep00197 (accessed 02.08.2017).
Borge-Holdhoefer J., Rivero A., Garsia I., Cauhe E., Ferrer A., et al. (2011). Structural and Dynamical Patterns on online Social Networks: The Spanish May 15th Movement as a Case Study. In: PLoS ONE. 2011. Vol. 8. No. 6. URL: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0023883 (accessed 02.08.2017).
Gonzalez-Bailon S., Wang N. (2016). Networked Discontent: The Anatomy of Protest Campaigns in Social Media. In: Social Networks. 2016. Vol. 44. P. 95-104. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j. socnet.2015.07.003 (accessed 02.08.2017).
Trere E. (2015). Reclaiming, Proclaiming, and Maintaining Collective Identity in the #YouSoy132 Movement in Mexico: an Examination of Digital Frontstage and Backstage Activism Through Social Media and Instant Messaging Platforms. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No.
8. P.905-915. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1043744 (accessed 09.05.2017). Bastos Marko T., Mercea Dan, Charpentier Arthur. (2015). Tents, Tweets, and Events: The Interplay
Between Ongoing Protests and Social Media. In: Journal of Communication. Vol. 65. Issue 2. P.320-350. URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcom.12145/full (accessed 05.08.2017).
Bakardijeva M. (2015). Do Clouds Have Politics? Collective Actors in Social Media Land. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 983-990. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/ 1369118X.2015.1043320 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Coretti L., Pica D. (2015). The Rise and Fall of Collective Identity in Networked Movements: Communication Protocols, Facebook, and Anti-Berlusconi Protest. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 951-967. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1043317 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Gerbaudo P. (2015). Protest Avatars as Memetic Signifiers: Political Profile Pictures and the Construction of Collective Identity on Social Media in the 2011 Protest Wave. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 916-929. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/136911 8X.2015.1043316 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Gerbaudo P., Trere E. (2015). In Search of the ‘We’ of Social Media Activism: Introduction to the Special Issue on Social Media and Protest Identities // Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 865-871. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1043319 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Kavada A. (2015). Creating the Collective: Social Media, the Occupy Movement and Its Constitution as a Collective Actor. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 872-887. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1369118X.2015.1043318 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Milan S. (2015). From Social Movements to Cloud Protesting: the Evolution of Collective Identity. In: Information, Communication & Society. Vol. 18. No. 8. P. 887-900. URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.10 80/1369118X.2015.1043318 (accessed 08.05.2017).
Wael Ghonim. (2012). Revolutsiya 2.0: Dokumental’nyy roman [Revolution 2.0]. SPb: Lenizdat, Komanda A, 352 p. (In Russ.).
Kanalley Craig. (2011). Occupy Wall Street: Social Media’s Role in Social Change. In: Huffington Post. October 6. URL: http://www/huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/06/occupy-wall-street-socialmedia_n999178.html (accessed 07.08.2017).
Green Samuel B., Robertson Graham B. (2016). Sposobnost’ k protestu sokhranyayetsya [The Ability to Protest Persists]. In: Kontrapunkt, No. 3 (April). P. 5. URL: http://www.counter-point.org/ greene_robertson_3/ (accessed 31.07. 2017). (In Russ.).
Bastos Marko T., Mercea Dan, Charpentier Arthur. (2015). Tents, Tweets, and Events: The Interplay Between Ongoing Protests and Social Media. In: Journal of Communication. 2015. Vol. 65. Issue 2. P. 320-350. URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jcom.12145/full (accessed 05.08.2017).
