SLIS faculty member Noriko Hara traveled to the United Kingdom from June 10-15, 2007 to give two related talks. The first titled "The Internet Use for Political Mobilization: A Case Study of MoveOn.Org during the 2004 US Presidential Campaign" was held at Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland.
At the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, Hara gave a related talk titled "Political Mobilization via the Internet: A Case Study of MoveOn.Org."
Abstract:
Since 2000, the Internet has been used extensively for U.S. presidential election campaigns. In 2004, Internet campaigning became more interactive, generating questions over whether the Internet is making a difference in the outcomes of elections. Previous studies tend to focus on the analysis of political campaigns via websites, characteristics of the political active population, and role of the media. Among various campaign forces, activities organized by the online grassroots activist group called MoveOn.org were prominent. This presentation reports on the perspectives of people who participated in political activities coordinated by MoveOn. Data were collected primarily through interviews with participants involved in the 2004 U.S. presidential election campaigns. The findings contrast similarities and differences between participants in swing and non-swing states. The analysis suggests a need for further development of theoretical frameworks for the study of collective action facilitated via online, which take place offline.
Posted June 27, 2007