Cyberactivism: Online Activism in Theory and Practice

By Martha McCaughey and Michael D. Ayers

Book Overview

Cyberactivism is a timely collection of essays examining the growing importance of online activism. The contributors show how online activists have not only incorporated recent technology as a tool for change, but also how they have changed the meaning of activism, what community means, and how they conceive of collective identity and democratic change. Topics addressed range from the Zapatista movement's use of the web to promote their cause globally to the establishment of alternative media sources like indymedia.org to the direct action of "hacktivists" who disrupt commercial computer networks. Cyberactivism is essential reading for anyone interested in understanding the impact of the Internet on politics today.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415943205
• ISBN13: 9780415943208
• Release Date: March 2003
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent Illustrations of Internet Activism in Use

If you like books such as Howard Rheingold's Smart Mobs but found it to be a little too thin on examples of actual application, this book would provide excellent follow-up reading. CyberActivisim: Online Activism in Theory and Practice is a comprehensive collection of eleven research articles that includes such diverse topics as captology (use of computers in persuasion), online communities, Cyberprotesting, "Social" network analysis of activist organizations reachable via the Internet, and the influence of online interaction on identity and collective identity. If none of the subject areas just mentioned sound familiar to you, then this book isn't for you. I'd recommend a combination of the Rheingold book mentioned above along with the Duncan J. Watts book, Six Degrees. The various research articles are authored by independent authors and vary considerably in quality of information and quality of presentation. Overall, the collective quality of the information in this book is excellent and there are only two or three articles that don't quite measure up to the standards of the rest of the articles. I was quite impressed with the breadth of subject matter covered in this book. The chapter on use of public domain pollution statistics for persuading online visitors to take action against environmental pollution was a particularly intriguing study illustrating the still obscure field of captology in encouraging activism. This book is a must read for every sub-academic devotee to the fields of social networks, online communities, and online activism.

Community, Collaboration, and the Free Exchange of Ideas

Cyberactivism: Online Activism in Theory and Practice illuminates many current vectors in online activism, never losing sight of the big picture. Martha McCaughy and Michael D. Ayers have assembled a stellar collection of scholarly essays. Sitting at the intersection of virtual and corporeal, theory and praxis, Cyberactivism observes the brief history, the current actions, and the future implications of online activism. Dorothy Kidd uncovers the rise of Indymedia.org as a new communications commons. Sandor Vegh attempts to classify forms of online activism, and in doing so, provides a great overview of recent cyber actions worldwide. Lee Salter evokes Jürgen Habermas to analyze democracy and new social movements in light of the internet. Michael D. Ayers compares online and offline collective identities in feminist activists, while Joshua Gamson does the same for gay media. This far-reaching collection takes a serious look at the internet's overall impact on activism, its ramifications for specific groups, and its potential for the future of all concerned. As Cyberactivism proves over and over in earnest, online activism isn't just about defacing corporate websites. It's about community, collaboration, and the free exchange of ideas -- three core ideals we could all do well to hold on to.