OMGs! Offline-based movement organizations, online-based movement organizations and network mobilization: a case study of political bloggers in Singapore

Abstract

The proliferation of Internet technologies has paved the way for technology adoption among marginalized communities and individuals for advancing varied political and civic agendas. Social movement scholars advocate that technology is becoming an integral component of the social movement repertoire, and building on their work, Internet scholars have examined the evolving nature of movement organizations and formal networks. Adopting resource mobilization and social network theories as the conceptual framework, this study examines political bloggers' social networks. Through 41 in-depth interviews and 76 survey responses, we collected data on political bloggers' activism participation and their organizational affiliations. Social networking patterns are linked to different organizational affiliation types – membership with formal organizations rooted in the offline context; membership with issue-based online organizations which assume a temporal nature and non-membership. Focusing on the dialectics between offline and online, permanence and temporality, the study showed that activists who belonged to offline-based organizations experienced greater social influence and collectiveness with one another. However, activist bloggers who belonged to online-based groups shared strong ties and sustained communication even after a campaign ended. More significantly, the findings show that online movement groups, although temporal in nature, foster what Sunstein [(2009). Republic.com 2.0 (pp. 19–45). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press] termed as ‘enclave deliberation’, attributed to the inclusive and open networks of online-based movement organizations.

Keywords:

• social movements
• collective action
• movement organizations
• new media
• social networks

Notes on contributors

Carol Soon is currently a Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy Studies, National University of Singapore, Dr Soon's research interests include social change, collective action, online social networks and the Internet and governance. With support from the Australian Endeavour Award, Dr Soon was a Visiting Research Fellow at the Asia Research Centre in Murdoch University in 2012. [email: [email protected]]

Hichang Cho is Associate Professor at the Department of Communications and New Media Programme, National University of Singapore. His research focuses on computer-mediated communication, collaboration in distributed groups, social networks and online privacy. [email: [email protected]]

Notes

1. Seventy per cent of the 4.5 million-population communicate via social networks, blogs, instant messaging, emails and peer-to-peer platforms (Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, 2009).

2. According to People Like Us' website, it is an informal group since the Registrar of Societies refused to grant registration in 1997, and in 2004 when they applied a second time. However, the organization has a membership of 2300 people on its mailing list and organizes meetings and forums, as are involved in the organization of the annual LGBT pride season, Indignation.

3. The Straits Times, a Singapore newspaper daily with the highest readership of 1.43 million readers, reaching an estimated 38% of the population in 2009 (Singapore Press Holdings, The Straits Times Media Kit, 2010).