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Power & the Network: 3 Mechanisms & 1 Caveat

The central question of digital activism is whether and how the digital network will redistribute political power.  It is not a new idea that networks challenge the foundations of the world’s current centralized and hierarchical power structure (see work by Mark Pesce and Yochai Benkler, among others).  What I’d like to lay out here is the process by which the network poses that challenge, the mechanics of the power shift.  Here are the 3 mechanisms, and 1 important caveat.

1. The network allows for multiple sources of information and interpretation, which creates multiple possible realities.
2. Reinterpretations of interest can result from exposure to these multiple realities.
3. When people reinterpret their interest the network also allows near-free mass broadcast and collaboration, which allows people to act collectively on behalf of their new interests.
4. But…the network does not tell people which action would be most effective, leading to passionate yet often ineffectual responses that challenge but do not significantly change the existing power system.

These points are explained in greater detail below.

1. Multiple sources of information = multiple realities.

It is practically a cliche now to say that citizen-generated media like blogs, Twitter, and cell phone video, challenge the political status quo.  Think of Twitter-assisted protests in Moldova, cell phone video captured in Iran, and China’s impressive efforts to censor and spin blog content.   These examples are deliberately mixed between examples of citizens disseminating objective information (an un-doctored image, recounting of an event) and subjective interpretation (whether a policy is good or bad, the implications of the event).

Both information and interpretation can be dangerous to a repressive regime because they create multiple perspectives and thus multiple realities.  In one reality, disseminated through state-sponsored propaganda and spin, a government may be powerful yet beneficent.  In another reality, propagated by bloggers and tweeters, the government is dictatorial and abusive.

According to the “three faces of power” framework of British political scientist Steven Lukes,  institutions exercise power at three levels: the level of decision-making (policies that are voted on or otherwise debated, like gay marriage in 2009), the level of non-decision-making (policies that cannot be publicly debated because of stigma or social sanction, like gay marriage in 1979), and the level of ideology (policies that are not debated because citizens are unaware of – or oppose – a policy that would be beneficial, like gay marriage in 1879).

Citizen-generated information and interpretation, which the network disseminates, operate at the level of ideology.  New information causes citizens to see authority figures or social practices in news ways.  New interpretations cause citizen to re-evaluate information they were previously aware of, changing “corruption is a part of life” to “corruption is an injustice I should resist” or “people are mostly free in my country” to “the government frequently commits human rights violations.”

2. Reinterpretation of  interests

This new information and interpretation can make people reinterpret their own interests within the political system.  For example, when the woman who once thought corruption was an unchangeable part of life now sees it as an injustice to resist, she may cease to be complicit with corrupt officials by not paying bribes  or at least no longer align herself with their interests by turning a blind eye.  A man who once saw his country as basically free and is now aware of human rights violations by his government may join an opposition group or may simply act with greater scepticism about the governments actions.  He now sees his own interests as being different – or even in conflict with – the interests of the government.

3.  Collective action

So far, we have really only addressed the network characteristics of Web 1.0, the readable web: citizens receives new information through the network and, in response, reinterpret their own interests with relation to the power structure.   However, we are now in the age of Web 2.0, the read-write web.  People not only consume content online, they create it, and not only at the level of isolated content like uploading a video or writing a blog post. The global middle class is in many instances tethered to the Internet and other networked devices, like cell phones and smart phones.  They are exchanging content with friends, colleagues, and strangers every day through IM, SMS, email, and status updates on social networks.

It is this intensity of communication, of constant yet small-scale content creation and response, that allows for massive collaboration.  In analyzing the network with regard to collective action, we should thus not focus on citizen-generated content.  This is only the beginning of a much more interesting chain of content and response that allows collective action to form: an active blog thread becomes a call to action, a Twitter hash-tag moves from observation to planning.

4. Action occurs, but is often ineffective.

So actions occur: short-lived outdoor protest movements, like those in Moldova, Burma, and Iran, strikes like the one in Egypt, and sometimes even vandalism, like the recent unrest in Greece.  After these spurts of activity, nothing really changes.  The power structure carries on more or less the same.  Citizens are now disillusioned with that power structure but see their action as ineffectual, and fall back into patterns of acquiescence, which is indistinguishable from consent with the status quo.    The power structure has certainly been weakened because citizens no longer align their own interests with those of the power structure, but that does not mean the structure will shift.  It will likely only become more violent and oppressive due to fear of its own citizens.  This violence, of course, results in further acquiescence.

The network provides the motivation and means for political action, but not the answer as to what that action should be.   This is no coincidence.  Information on how to change the existing power structure is deliberately hidden from citizens by the power structure itself, particularly in authoritarian societies.  Thus, even citizens who want to change the system fall back onto hackneyed and often ineffectual actions: protest rallies, sign-waving, petitions.

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Book Review: Learning from Obama: Lessons for Online Communicators in 2009 and Beyond

[Softcover Publish Date is 19 August 2009: Download for free from epolitics.com]

Author

Colin Delany

Subject

This book explores the communication strategy of the Obama presidential election campaign in the United States during 2008.

From an outsider’s view (I have never lived in the United States), I was amazed at how the Obama election campaign mobilised supporters. However, I have to admit to having suffered Obama fatigue by the end of it all: it seemed that everybody with a blog or Twitter account had an expert opinion on how Obama won his campaign.

Colin Delany is an exception. He has written many posts on political campaigning over several years, and he has done an exceptional job at summarizing the key elements of the campaign’s communication strategy that contributed to Obama’s success in his book “Learning from Obama: Lessons for Online Communicators in 2009 and Beyond”.

One salient point Delany makes about the Obama campaign is that while the bulk of fundraising came from online activities, most funds were spent on television advertising, because it is the best way to communicate with the uncommitted and uninvolved. The call to action on television advertising was usually to go online for more information, thereby increasing the campaign’s online network of supporters.

This point is particularly important for us as digital activists to bear in mind. While we may often have a big impact using online tools, traditional communication methods we can still change people’s minds and actions.

[Full Disclosure: DigiActive co-founder Mary Joyce was an employee of the Obama campaign, but did not play a part in the selection of this topic.]

Campaign: Online Activists Want US Drug Reform

Description: As the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama nears, many Americans are putting together a wish list of the most pressing issues that they would like to see the Obama Administration work on first. While the war on terror continues to take up primary attention worldwide, America’s longest and most difficult war – the War on Drugs – has been given a back seat. However, with recent popular culture depictions of the drug trade and urban blight on the acclaimed show, The Wire (and Obama’s favorite TV show), some digital activists hope that with “change” in the White House, there will also be some change in how to approach this timely domestic issue.

Digital Tools Being Used: Facebook
What Are They Doing: Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a grassroots network of activists concerned about drug abuse, are running an “online rally” on their Facebook group page through the end of January, with a goal of getting 100,000 people to sign a petition, asking Obama to reform the nation’s drug policy. The petition specifically wants the next head of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to have a background in health, science, or education rather than in military, law enforcement, or “tough on drugs” politics. “The next ‘Drug Czar’ should treat drug abuse as a health issue rather than a criminal issue and move away from a ‘War on Drugs’ paradigm,” according to the group.

Barack Obama wins online campaign

Description: President-elect Barack Obama has not only become the first African American commander-in-chief of the United States, but he also led the Democratic party to win states considered uphill battles, including Virginia, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. Obama’s road to the White House was helped with a broad, diverse group of followers, including young people, people of color and disgruntled Republicans, thanks in part to his successful online strategy.

What Did He Do: Obama used the Internet for both fundraising purposes and growing a community of like-minded voters who wanted to see the country go in a different direction than the one led by the Bush Administration. According to data from the Federal Election Commission, Obama raised over $470 million in individual contributions through October 15, compared to rival John McCain’s $200 million. Obama accomplished this by taking smaller contributions from supporters and creating an easy online giving process.

Also, his supporters got online to show their support for him on multiple social networks, including a YouTube video from pop star Will.i.am and “Obama Girl.”

The Obama campaign also used text messaging to announce the selection of VP running mate Joe Biden.

Celebrations are occuring around the world online today in support of the Obama victory, including Thursday’s declared holiday in Obama’s ancestral home of Kenya.

While the book is still being written on Obama’s victory, Obama’s digital activism can not be overlooked.

“Take away elements regarding his race and all the hype around his candidacy and you find that he executed a sound online strategy to get his thoughts out to the people and address their issues,” said Navarrow Wright, President and CEO of GlobalGrind.com, in a recent interview. “This was not a fluke, it was true Internet strategy.”

Campaign: Obama-mania goes overseas

Description: Presumptive U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama will be traveling to Europe and the Middle East later this week to meet with opinion leaders and supporters. Most importantly Obama will be rallying Democrats living overseas. Nearly six million American expatriates living in over 90 countries are eligible to vote in the November election, according to the Associated Press. Obamaholics worldwide are taking the opportunity to get out the vote for their man.

Tools Being Used: Facebook, social networks

What Are They Doing: Democrats Abroad is the official Democratic Party organization for the millions of Americans living outside the United States. They are using their Facebook page to inform supporters about the latest political news and reminders about registering to vote. American expatriates for Obama in Jordan and France have set up Meetup pages to remind supporters about upcoming Obama meetings.

“As an American it really warms my heart to see the support for Obama across the world. He is a once in a lifetime leader!” said Jason Bell on the Hong Kong for Obama Facebook page.

DigiActive News: Co-Founder on hiatus for Obama

Dear DigiActive Community,

I am excited to inform you that I have accepted the position as New Media Operations Manager at Obama for America. In this position I will assist the Director and Deputy Director of New Media with project management and logistics work for the department.

For this reason, I will be taking a hiatus from DigiActive until after Election Day (November 4th, 2008). During my absence, DigiActive will be managed by Co-Founder Amine, Editor Talia Whyte, Director of Applied Research Patrick Meier, and the rest of the DigiActive team.

I look forward to watching DigiActive flourish throughout the coming months and will return to my full duties in November.

Very Best,

Mary Joyce
Co-Founder, DigiActive