Internet, citizen self-mobilisation, and social movement organisations in environmental collective action campaigns: two Hong Kong cases

Abstract

Much research on online activism has shown that the Internet enhances social mobilisation by lowering the costs of information, mobilisation, and participation. The Internet thus facilitates the rise of citizen self-mobilisation (CSM) – organisation of and mobilisation for collective actions by ordinary citizens unaffiliated with social and political groups. However, the rise of CSM does not render social movement organisations (SMOs) irrelevant to protest movements. Rather, many collective action campaigns in contemporary societies are constituted by the dynamic combination of CSM efforts and SMO-based mobilisation processes. This study conceptualises the complementary relationship between CSM and SMO from a resource mobilisation perspective. It then illustrates, through two environmental collective actions in Hong Kong, how Internet-based CSM and SMO-based processes may interact with each other to drive the evolution of collective action campaigns, and adds to current understanding of the impact of emerging online mobilisation phenomena on existing movement organisations and industries.

Keywords:

• Internet
• social mobilisation
• collective action
• social movement organisations
• resource mobilisation
• Hong Kong

Acknowledgement

The research reported in this article is supported by a General Research Fund grant from the Research Grant Council of the Hong Kong Government (Project no.: CUHK449011).

Notes

^1. This is confirmed by the in-depth interviews of this study.

^2. ‘Group uncovering the “plastic disaster” said the government is proactive and environmental groups irresponsive’, Ming Pao, 10 August 2012, p. A08.

^3. ‘Bureaucrats not as mature as the civil society in responding to the pellet spill incident’, Ming Pao, 8 August 2012, p. A04.

^4. S. Ma, ‘A city’s awakening’, Apple Daily, 8 August 2012, p. H06.