Occupy the Galaxy: Social Movement Theory in a Virtual World

• In Event: Top Four Competitive Papers in Game Studies

Abstract

After the 2007-2008 financial crisis a wave of protest quickly spread around the globe. Academics and other commentators quickly noted that these new social movements differed significantly from previous models. Instead of relying on incentives provided by tightly knit groups headed by experienced leaders as predicted by existing "collective action" theories these new movements employed a looser structure with a greater emphasis on personal framing and identity. The emerging "connective" action theory seeks to describe these new structures and contrast them with earlier approaches. While theoretically sophisticated there have been few quantitative explorations of this debate, in part due to the trouble of obtaining data on such transient social organizations. This paper sidesteps that issue by contrasting both approaches through the lens of an online protest within the popular multiplayer game EVE Online. Results suggest that communication, in game experience and the willingness to explore different perspectives within the game world are significant predictors of participation in the protest. These findings suggest that the connective action approach may be a productive line of inquiry for researchers examining both virtual and physical social movements.

Author

• Joshua Andrew Clark, U of Southern California - Annenberg School for Communication