Exploring the Motivation and Means for Political and Social Activism in the United States

• In Event: 3451 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 7. Mobilization and Motivations

Abstract

There is currently a debate surrounding Millennials and GenZ regarding their participation in social and political activism. The value and use of technology in place of more traditional forms of activism such as marches, rallies, and face-to-face activist groups has been repeatedly called into question—that is, how has the massive increase in the presence and use of technology impacted activism and, particularly, how has it impacted Millennials and GenZers self-identification as activists? Utilizing a Paradox of Choice framework and data collected from our own survey, we examine technology’s influence on social and political activism. Preliminary results indicate that Millennial and GenZers follow and raise money for activist causes via platforms such as Facebook, but they do not engage with causes on a deeper level. Additionally, most respondents reported that protesting was an effective form of activism, but a minority of respondents reported having ever participated in a protest.

Authors

• Brittany M. Kowalski, West Virginia University

• Sara K. Guthrie, West Virginia University

• Julia Kay Wolf, West Virginia University

• Katie E. Corcoran, West Virginia University