Beyond Slacktivism examines how routine social media use shapes political participation. Many commentators have argued that activism has been compromised by slacktivism, a pejorative term that refers to supposedly inauthentic, low-threshold forms of engagement online. Dennis argues that this critique has an overly narrow focus. He offers a novel theoretical frameworkthe continuum of participationto help illuminate how and why citizens use social networking sites to consume news, discuss civic matters, and engage in politics. This idea is explored in two interrelated settings. Firstly, in an activist context, through an ethnography of the campaigning organisation 38 Degrees. Secondly, within day-to-day life, by combining evidence of behaviour online with reflective diaries. Drawing on this rich data on individual-level attitudes and behaviours, Dennis challenges slacktivism as a judgement on contemporary political action. Beyond Slacktivism provides an account of how the seemingly mundane everyday use of social media can be beneficial to democracy.
Chapter 1: Its Better to Light a Candle Than to Fantasize About a Sun
Chapter 2: #stopslacktivism: Why Clicks, Likes and Shares Matter
Chapter 3: Operationalising the Continuum of Participation
Chapter 4: People. Power. Change. 38 Degrees and Digital Micro-Activism on Social Media
Chapter 5: An Informed Public? News Consumption on Social Media
Chapter 6: Civic Instigators, Contributors and Listeners: Political Expression on Social Media
Chapter 7: Conclusion: The Candle Burns Bright
James Dennis is Senior Lecturer in Political Communication and Journalism at the University of Portsmouth, UK. His research interests lie in political commulĂ
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