Abstract
Drawing on concepts rooted in cybernetics and anarchist political theory, this article argues that the shift in Occupy Wall Street from being a physical protest camp in late 2011 to an online movement in 2012 coincided with a shift in social media activity. Analysis of Facebook activity suggests a move from functional to anatomical hierarchy and a corresponding move from many-to-many communication to one-to-many communication. In conclusion, we argue that this development served to undermine the movement's anarchist principles of organization.
Original language | English |
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Journal | The Information Society |
Volume | 33 |
Issue number | 4 |
Pages (from-to) | 192-204 |
Number of pages | 13 |
ISSN | 0197-2243 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Keywords
- Anarchism
- Communication
- Cybernetics
- Hierarchy
- Occupy Wall Street
- Social media
- Social movements