Reflections on “Digitally Enabled Social Change"...

[Kevin]

All the different stuff I'm involved in feels connected to me... or at least, though me... of course, right? Still, the connection of this one to architecture, design, and tools won't necessarily come through except subtly, and toward the end of the piece. Anyway... I was really glad to do this, and I'd like to share it with anyone who might be interested in the topic, here at the DesignCommunity.

This is an invited essay for the inaugural series of 'essay dialogs' at "Mobilizing Ideas," a production of The Center for the Study of Social Movements at the University of Notre Dame.

The assignment for all of the essay authors was to discuss the book “Digitally Enabled Social Change – Activism in the Internet Age” by Jennifer Earl and Katrina Kimport, and how it relates to one's view of social change and activism.

In the book, PetitionOnline was a significant case study, and statistical research subject, and that started out my relationship with the book. So I took a personal, reflective approach, and start out the essay talking about that, and then move on to consider more general findings of the book - which I think are very significant.

And to wrap up the essay, I go big - since I think it all leads together into how we are going to figure out to fix what ails us, collectively, going into the future.

Reflections on “Digitally Enabled Social Change – Activism in the Internet Age”
Mobilizing Ideas, 2011.1212
http://mobilizingideas.wordpress.com/20 ... ernet-age/

Thoughts appreciated.