Twitter activism and youth in South Africa

The case of #RhodesMustFall

Dados Bibliográficos

ID20508147
AutoresTanja Bosch (0000-0002-8093-1969, University of Cape Town, autor correspondente)
Ano2017
Volume20
Fascículo2
Páginas221-232
Data de publicação2017-02-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessNão
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInformation Communication & Society (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1369-118X • E-ISSN: 1468-4462
EditoraInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/1369118x.2016.1162829
OpenAlexW2335428715
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas118
Referências citadas23

This article uses the South African student-led campaign known as Rhodes Must Fall, commonly referred to simply as #RMF, to explore youth activism and counter-memory via social networking site Twitter. The RMF campaign took place at the University of Cape Town and comprised student-led protests, which campaigned to remove the statue of British colonialist Cecil John Rhodes, as activists argued that it promoted institutionalized racism and promoted a culture of exclusion particularly for black students. Through a qualitative content analysis of tweets and a network analysis using NodeXL, this article argues that despite the digital divide in South Africa, and limited access to the internet by the majority of citizens, Twitter was central to youth participation during the RMF campaign, reflecting the politics and practices of counter-memory but also setting mainstream news agendas and shaping the public debate. The article further argues that the #RMF campaign can be seen a collective project of resistance to normative memory production. The analysis demonstrates how social media discussions should not be viewed as detached from more traditional media platforms, particularly, as in this case, they can set mainstream news agendas. Moreover, the article argues that youth are increasingly using social networking sites to develop a new biography of citizenship which is characterized by more individualized forms of activism. In the present case, Twitter affords youth an opportunity to participate in political discussions, as well as discussions of broader socio-political issues of relevance in contemporary South African society, reflecting a form of subactivism

Citizenship · Ideology · Mainstream · Media studies · Political activism · Political science · Politics · Racism · Social activism · Social media · Social movement · Sociology · Youth studies · Gender Studies · Gender, Feminism, and Media · Law · Media Studies and Communication · Social Media and Politics