Technology and social activism: an empirical study of the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by Indian single-issue groups
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Date
09/07/2018Author
Agarwal, Nikhil
Metadata
Abstract
This thesis explores the role of new Information and Communications
Technologies (ICT) in political organisation. It explores the use of ICTs by singleissue
groups – the emergence of which has become a salient feature of
contemporary political activity. There has been considerable interest amongst
politicians, activists, commentators and social scientists in the contribution of ICT
(eg. social media) to democracy and the renewal of political life. Optimistic accounts
are especially evident around ‘the Arab Spring', though subsequent experiences
have called into question the prevalent technological utopianism of the time. Despite
this, we are now building a complete picture of how ICT can contribute to the political
organisation. In particular, the significance of new media and technology for single
issue groups has not yet been explored in developing countries context. This thesis,
therefore, examines the characteristics of single issue groups and how social
activists appropriated new media tools and its consequences for political
organisation in a developing country: India. A qualitative study was undertaken to
focus on two detailed case studies: India Against Corruption (IAC) and the Pink
Chaddi campaign. IAC was the traditional activist organisation that used new media
to its advantage whereas Pink Chaddi was the pioneering example of online social
activism in the India. Forty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with a
range of actors involved to understand how single-issue groups appropriated
technology and how new practices have emerge from this appropriation.
Drawing upon the Social Shaping of Technology perspective (Williams & Edge,
1996) and its extension to Social Learning (Sørensen, 1996), the thesis refutes
prevalent deterministic accounts (whether utopian or dystopian) of the impact of new
technologies on political organisations. Instead, a detailed account is rendered of the
adoption of various communication media and their utilisation in the particular
practices and activities of the single-issue groups selected. The results demonstrate
that the particular setting shapes the appropriation of new media and the
development of new organisation practices: the skills resources and strategies of the
local players involved as well as the availability and affordances of technology. The
thesis introduces the concept of ‘creative configuration' – to capture the innovative
and adaptive process by which the actors involved explored the applicability of
general purpose technology infrastructure and tools, assisted by forms of local
expertise available to hand, to support organisational objectives. The research
examines the applicability of the theory of temporary organisation (Lundin &
Söderholm, 1995) to the activities of single-issue groups. It suggests an extension of
this theory, highlighting how ‘technology' acts as a catalyst to sustain temporary
organisations such as single-issue groups. Further, a framework for sustainable local
innovations is proposed to explore lessons for organisations in exploiting
technologies sustainably and more efficiently.