Internet resources as alternative media

In this assignment, you should take a close look at a particular aspect of how the Internet is used at a means for social movement actors as a tool for organization, mobilization and/or political contestation.

For this assignment, you should do the following:

1) Provide a general overview of the type of use that you wish to examine (such as weblogs, discussion lists, chatrooms, file-sharing and usenets). Explain the value and significance of this type of use. Give some brief examples.

2) Provide a slightly more in-depth case study of a particular use that illustrates the general type described above. Discuss the interests that bind the users in this case, the area of political contestation in which they are engaged, and give some detail about particular actions in which they have been involved.

3) Give your own assessment of how the case you have studied (point #2) illustrates the impact of this type of Internet use (point #1). Apart from the apparent value and significance discussed above, why or why do you not think that the case you studied supports this potential?

This assignment is due on April 13, 2004.

Recommended length: about 5 pages