The reclaiming of online media by civil society: Greece & Sweden

Vasilis Galis; Christina Neumayer

Abstract

In light of the financial crisis and harsher migration policies, actions initiated by radical civil society groups are on the rise. This project argues that in this time it is important to understand the reclaiming of online media by civil society. To reach this understanding we will explore how activists of the radical left have mobilized protests and solidarity actions through online media. We have chosen to locate our study in Sweden and Greece. Greece has found itself in the eye of the global financial storm whereas Sweden is coming out of the recession more favorably. In general, there is an excitement around civil society uses of online media leading to a wave of studies in this area. With our project, we underscore that such uses of online media also create potential frictions with reference to two integral dimensions of these media: cyber-material aspects of online media as well as the oxymoron of radical activists on the left using capitalist media platforms and how this influences their political identity. Therefore, there is a need to understand the cyber-material impact of online media on collective action initiated by civil society as well as the relationship between ideological loyalties and the political economy of mainstream online media. How and with what consequences does cyber-materiality facilitate as well as limit collective action? Does the use of commercial digital platforms by Swedish and Greek activists radicalize these media or is there a risk for radical collective action of becoming recuperated by commercial online media?

Original language	English
Publication date	2014
Publication status	Published - 2014
Event	European Association for the Study of Science and Technology Conference 2014: Situating Solidarities: social challenges for science and technology studies - Torun, Poland Duration: 17 Sept 2014 → 19 Sept 2014 http://easst.net/

Conference

Conference	European Association for the Study of Science and Technology Conference 2014
Country/Territory	Poland
City	Torun
Period	17/09/2014 → 19/09/2014
Internet address	http://easst.net/

Keywords

financial crisis
migration policies
radical civil society
online media
cyber-materiality
collective action
political identity
digital platforms
Swedish and Greek activists
political economy

Access to Document

http://easst.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/easst2014.pdf

Cite this

@conference{fbc026acd4494c359d0400a9ca6c75d8,

title = "The reclaiming of online media by civil society: Greece & Sweden",

abstract = "In light of the financial crisis and harsher migration policies, actions initiated by radical civil society groups are on the rise. This project argues that in this time it is important to understand the reclaiming of online media by civil society. To reach this understanding we will explore how activists of the radical left have mobilized protests and solidarity actions through online media. We have chosen to locate our study in Sweden and Greece. Greece has found itself in the eye of the global financial storm whereas Sweden is coming out of the recession more favorably. In general, there is an excitement around civil society uses of online media leading to a wave of studies in this area. With our project, we underscore that such uses of online media also create potential frictions with reference to two integral dimensions of these media: cyber-material aspects of online media as well as the oxymoron of radical activists on the left using capitalist media platforms and how this influences their political identity. Therefore, there is a need to understand the cyber-material impact of online media on collective action initiated by civil society as well as the relationship between ideological loyalties and the political economy of mainstream online media. How and with what consequences does cyber-materiality facilitate as well as limit collective action? Does the use of commercial digital platforms by Swedish and Greek activists radicalize these media or is there a risk for radical collective action of becoming recuperated by commercial online media?",

keywords = "financial crisis, migration policies, radical civil society, online media, cyber-materiality, collective action, political identity, digital platforms, Swedish and Greek activists, political economy, financial crisis, migration policies, radical civil society, online media, cyber-materiality, collective action, political identity, digital platforms, Swedish and Greek activists, political economy",

author = "Vasilis Galis and Christina Neumayer",

note = "yes now; European Association for the Study of Science and Technology Conference 2014 : Situating Solidarities: social challenges for science and technology studies, EASST 14 ; Conference date: 17-09-2014 Through 19-09-2014",

year = "2014",

language = "English",

url = "http://easst.net/",

}

TY - ABST

T1 - The reclaiming of online media by civil society

T2 - European Association for the Study of Science and Technology Conference 2014

AU - Galis, Vasilis

AU - Neumayer, Christina

N1 - yes now

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - In light of the financial crisis and harsher migration policies, actions initiated by radical civil society groups are on the rise. This project argues that in this time it is important to understand the reclaiming of online media by civil society. To reach this understanding we will explore how activists of the radical left have mobilized protests and solidarity actions through online media. We have chosen to locate our study in Sweden and Greece. Greece has found itself in the eye of the global financial storm whereas Sweden is coming out of the recession more favorably. In general, there is an excitement around civil society uses of online media leading to a wave of studies in this area. With our project, we underscore that such uses of online media also create potential frictions with reference to two integral dimensions of these media: cyber-material aspects of online media as well as the oxymoron of radical activists on the left using capitalist media platforms and how this influences their political identity. Therefore, there is a need to understand the cyber-material impact of online media on collective action initiated by civil society as well as the relationship between ideological loyalties and the political economy of mainstream online media. How and with what consequences does cyber-materiality facilitate as well as limit collective action? Does the use of commercial digital platforms by Swedish and Greek activists radicalize these media or is there a risk for radical collective action of becoming recuperated by commercial online media?

AB - In light of the financial crisis and harsher migration policies, actions initiated by radical civil society groups are on the rise. This project argues that in this time it is important to understand the reclaiming of online media by civil society. To reach this understanding we will explore how activists of the radical left have mobilized protests and solidarity actions through online media. We have chosen to locate our study in Sweden and Greece. Greece has found itself in the eye of the global financial storm whereas Sweden is coming out of the recession more favorably. In general, there is an excitement around civil society uses of online media leading to a wave of studies in this area. With our project, we underscore that such uses of online media also create potential frictions with reference to two integral dimensions of these media: cyber-material aspects of online media as well as the oxymoron of radical activists on the left using capitalist media platforms and how this influences their political identity. Therefore, there is a need to understand the cyber-material impact of online media on collective action initiated by civil society as well as the relationship between ideological loyalties and the political economy of mainstream online media. How and with what consequences does cyber-materiality facilitate as well as limit collective action? Does the use of commercial digital platforms by Swedish and Greek activists radicalize these media or is there a risk for radical collective action of becoming recuperated by commercial online media?

KW - financial crisis

KW - migration policies

KW - radical civil society

KW - online media

KW - cyber-materiality

KW - collective action

KW - political identity

KW - digital platforms

KW - Swedish and Greek activists

KW - political economy