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Idle No More, Diffusion and Facebook

Sun, August 17, 12:30 to 1:30pm, TBA

Abstract

The indigenous led movement, Idle No More leapt into public view during the winter of 2012-13, bringing round dance flash-mobs and blockades to communities across Canada and beyond, becoming a symbol of 21st century indigenous resistance. The initial trigger was the proposed Canadian federal policies included Bill C-45 that would further undermine indigenous self-governance and protection of the environment. Observers argued that the rapid spread of the tactics and the movement was tied to the increasing use of social media by indigenous communities and their supporters, but such assertions do not specify how media operated or affected the cycle of protest. This paper examines how the use of Facebook during the first two months of the movement was tied to the diffusion of tactics, affected the identification with and participation in the episode of protest. It argues that to understand the effect of such social media on diffusion and mobilization one must break down social media platforms into their component tasks of ‘sharing’, ‘liking’ and ‘joining’, and link these features to social processes of deliberation, identification, brokerage. Once one does this, one can more easily understand the distinct trajectories by which Facebook facilitated the movement and its tactics to spread rapidly beyond indigenous networks, diversifying the identity, message and goals of the movement.

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