Joseph Vint Mrs. Ascarelli Hum 101:005 September 7, 2013 Malcom la!"ell#s $a%e on Social Acti&ism 'n to!

a(#s "orl! ) a "orl! *ull o* !(namicall( mo&in+ an! chan+in+ parts "ithin the social an! political realms ) it is o*ten eas( *or people to !e&elop +eneral misconceptions o* the connections bet"een certain shi*ts in societal phenomenon an! the ne"l( !e&elope! tren!s an! technolo+( "hich in*luence them. 'n the article ,Small -han+e,. $he /e" 0or%er "riter Malcom la!"ell a!!resses this issue throu+h the sub1ect o* the !i**erent t(pes o* acti&ism an! the me!iums throu+h "hich the( *lo". 2n a basic le&el, "hen all is sai! an! !one, la!"ell !e*ines acti&ism as citi3ens participatin+ in some *orm o* statement inten!e! to either in*luence chan+e or simpl( to create a &oice an! ha&e it hear!. Ho"e&er, his +oal is less to !e*ine acti&ism itsel* an! more to !e*ine the me!iums throu+h "hich acti&ism *lo"s, thus !e*inin+ the !i**erent t(pes o* acti&ism in the process. He uses the terms ,stron+)tie. an! ,"ea%)tie. to !escribe the t"o main relational t(pes "hich he belie&es to be the plumbin+ o* acti&ism, both mo!ern an! historic. His !i**erentiation bet"een the t"o is sel* e4planitor(5 Stron+)tie relations re*ers to personal connection, such as close *rien!s or *amil(, "here as "ea%)tie relations re*ers to the t(pe o* connection hel! bet"een 6aceboo% *rien!s "ho onl( sociali3e throu+h 6aceboo%, or $"itter *ollo"ers "ho onl( %no" certain people throu+h their $"eets. $he *ormer promotes hi+h)ris%, chan+e)in!ucin+ acti&ism "hile the latter promotes acti&ism aime! more to"ar!s the &oicin+ o* an opinion, or raisin+ a"areness. 2ne *orces its +oal, "hile the other simpl( causes a ripple.

/o", ho" !oes this en*orce his ar+ument7 la!"ell#s +oal in this process is to correct "hat he claims to be a misconcei&e! ,Acti&ism 8e&olution.. 'n a time "hen mass me!ia an! +eneral au!iences are sprea!in+ that social net"or%in+ has re&olutioni3e! acti&ism, la!"ell re*utes an! states that it has onl( sur*ace! a lesser %no"n si!e o* acti&ism. $he acti&ism seen !urin+ the 9ool"orth !emonstrations in 1:;0, *or e4ample, "as le! purel( b( Stron+)$ie connections. <eople#s *rien!s +ot in&ol&e!, an! those *rien!s encoura+e! others to become in&ol&e!. $hrou+h Stron+)$ie acti&ism, a hierarch( is establishe! an! a tric%lin+ stream o* support amon+st the supporters is establishe!, enablin+ the passion *or participants to ris% the hi+hest o* sta%es. Ho"e&er, 9ea%)$ie is a much tamer &ersion o* acti&ism. 8ather than <ushin+ the limits to challen+e status =uo an! incur chan+e, 9ea%)$ie simpl( aims to ma%e a &oice hear!. 't is essentiall( an e4ample o* the po"er an! securit( *oun! in the anon(mit( o* a lar+e +roup. 't promotes e**icienc( an! lo")ris% acti&ism, but it !oes not +enerall( accomplish tas%s at the same caliber as that o* Stron+)$ie acti&ism. >oth *orms still e4ist an! occur *re=uentl(, but 9ea%)$ie ha! been less pre&alent be*ore the internet came alon+. 9ith this in min!, its rele&ance to la!"ell#s ar+ument is that social net"or%in+ has not re&olutioni3e! acti&ism. '* an(thin+, it has simpl( brou+ht out a less po"er*ul, more con&enient *orm o* acti&ism. 'n *act, that is somethin+ that can be sai! *or man( mo!ern so)calle! ,re&olutions.. ' am on the same si!e as la!"ell. ' belie&e that the in*luence o* social net"or%in+ on acti&ism has been +reatl( +lori*ie! an! horribl( misinterprete!. 't is in!ee! true that it has +reatl( in*luence! acti&ism, but not in the "on!er*ul "a( that ne"s me!ia has ma!e it out to be. $his is m( o"n personal spin an! it ma( not be e4actl( "hat la!"ell "as hintin+ at, but ' belie&e it can be !eri&e! *rom his thou+hts. Societ( is constantl( tr(in+ to simpli*(. /o matter "here the

"orl! is technolo+icall(, people are al"a(s tr(in+ to impro&e it. 'n most cases, that impro&ement ta%es the *orm o* a tas% becomin+ more con&enient, or +enerall( easier. $his is +reat, but in man( cases ) such as is the case "ith acti&ism ) the simpli*ication process strips the ori+inal pro!uct !o"n to an o&erall less po"er*ul or less *unctional pro!uct. >ecause o* this, ' a+ree "ith a+ree "ith Ma4"ell. Social net"or%in+ is not re&olutioni3in+ acti&ism5 8ather, it is !umbin+ it !o"n so that &irtuall( an(bo!( can participate, "hile essentiall( nothin+ is actuall( chan+e!.