About the course

About the course

Emergent online platforms including but not limited to social media sites have become a key driver of public debates on key social issues. This course discusses how these technologies are changing grassroots advocacy and democratic political engagement more broadly by blending theory and research on IT, politics, and strategic communication. A variety of political organizations are explored, including: national and international non-profits; NGOs; political parties and candidates; and new social movements. The fundamental question explored in this course is whether online media are providing citizens with new opportunities to influence political processes and public decision-making in ways that challenge the traditional power differential between the ‘elites’ and ordinary people. This question is explored with reference to three critical levels of analysis, including: technology and social change theory; emerging trends in contemporary advocacy and mobilization; and the broader political and mass media context within which these changes take place. Examples and case studies are drawn from the U.S., other democratic and non-democratic countries.