Archive | Facebook RSS feed for this section

From French Resistance to hashtag activism: How our obsession with the extraordinary masks the power of the ordinary

I’ve become obsessed with “Un village français.” No, it’s not an idyllic town in Provence. It’s a French television series set during World War II. The show follows the residents of one French town as they navigate the German occupation. I tell myself that I am already into the 6th season (thank you, Netflix) because […]

Read full story Comments { 0 }

Bringing the Organization Back In: Social Media and Social Movements

In the digital era of so-called Facebook revolutions or hashtag activism, many claim that participation in social movements is individualized and personalized, but building and sustaining a political movement, even an online movement, still requires organization. I make this argument in my recent blog post at the Berkeley Journal of Sociology.

Read full story Comments { 0 }

Is Facebook just another paperboy with bad aim?

“Facebook Is a Bigger Source for Political News than CNN, Fox” headlined a Mashable article last week. Oh, really? This provocative phrase kept showing up on my Twitter feed. The article was one of many that splashed news headlines after the Pew Research Journalism project issued a report on the news habits of Americans. But […]

Read full story Comments { 0 }

An Open Letter to Mark Zuckerberg: Is Facebook a Human Right?

Hi Mark, I just read your Facebook post: “Is Connectivity a Human Right?” and I thought I’d share my perspective (and answer) with you. First off, you’ve discovered that not every individual in this world has Internet access. Welcome. I’m a doctoral candidate in sociology up the road from you at UC Berkeley. Yeah, that […]

Read full story Comments { 17 }