Choosing the topic

ACTIVISM OR SLACKTIVISM

Digital connectivity is the most glaring example of proliferation of modernism. With internet
connectivity now reaching to almost all of the modern states there has been a global assertiveness
towards a more homogenous and uniformed modern consumerist way of living. But has this taken a
toll on some of the real life projects like nation-building and activism. I have a view that activism
which does not involve time, effort and resources, isn’t activism; its slacktivism. With the advent and
consolidation of global knowledge economy, the capacity of reforms on the part of the state has
genuinely decreased and the onus lies more and more upon the private individuals. Real power
around the world does not reside with governments any longer, but with private interests. But the
private has grown apathetic towards public. Aristotelian politics which defines individual’s
deliberation capacity as the criterion for being defined as citizen, seems to fade away. The modern
activism with its `like’ buttons and retweets has taken modern activism to a perverse form. It would
be really hilarious to imagine the success of movements like the anti emergency or even the recent
Anna Hazare movement had it been in the modern context of `Jio’ world. Has internet activism have
far and over reaching impact to a particular class group, especially the middle class( or in Pranab
Bardhan’s words the `dominant coalition’? The consumption of this internet ideology is more
common among the `new middle class’ in the urban or semi urban areas as compared to the rural or
agrarian areas where Dalit movements or farmer agitation is still on furore. Or as Will Kymlicka says
the involvement of individuals in public has decreased not because the public sphere discourse has
degraded but because the utility in private life over the years has grown leaps and bounds. There is
also a notable trend that the state’s coercive power has increased as a result of lack of solidarity
among citizens. Sense of solidarity which earlier used to be shaped by physical interaction among
citizens now has been reduced to relations of `like’ buttons, resulting apathy to other’s problems and
development of a consensual discourse. Role of mass media especially digital media is also
something that must be looked with scrutiny. The public sphere, according to Habermas, which is
the nexus between the public life and civil society, is slowly penetrated by an entity which is as
ubiquitous as the society itself, the digital media. Has it helped the mass media to construct a
narrative which can be forced and feed from top to bottom rather than bottom to top? Has this
trend helped the media construe a narrative which has generally been majoritarian in trend as that
would help their TRPs and consolidate their businesses? This can be seen as a reason for the media
to term anybody who does not agrees with the majoritarian ideologue as `traitor’ or `anti-national’.
Hence internet activism has reinvented private life and redefined private and public virtues.
Democracy and pluralism which harbors different views and virtues are taking a majoritarian trend
thus trying to brew a homogenous culture. Has our imagination of India as a `salad bowl’ has slowly
taking a direction of `melting pot’ due to the perverse participation of individuals in the public
sphere?

Need and scope of study

Off late India has seen a boom in the demography of the thriving middle class which seems to
dominate over the discussions of the public sphere. There has also been a pattern that this dominant
demography produces and reproduces the social conditions upon which the reforms and changes
take place. However on closer look on may find that after decades of economic growth which has
brought this urban middle class out of poverty, has also bereft them of mutual love and solidarity.
We also need to study the difference between Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft as articulated by
Ferdinand Tönnies and how relevant it is in today’s India and among it’s working class. Has this onus
of change which has been thrust upon the middle class a too much of a burden to bear? And has this
burden turned them to pervasive measures of slacktivism? Has modernism which has it’s roots in
individualism has thrust people to give more importance to private transfer rather than public
goods?

Further one also must study that this pervasive measures of activism could rejuvenate class politics
in India among classes who might feel under represented by the internet activism and mass media.
The global capitalist economy has to be studied in the light of being Janus faced. On the one side the
global economy seems to be more and more united on the other the society continues to become
fragmented with a dominant class trying to be the spokesperson for all.

The research would contain different patterns of social movement one that is before 2010(before
proliferation of the internet) and one after 2010(after the proliferation of internet). The study would
also include views and questionnaires of different classes of people and what is activism according
to them. Also it would look towards the enrichment aspect of private life of those individuals who
resent to activism over internet and those who do not. The study would also look towards narratives
of the digital media and are their narrative class specific?

To study these trends I have selected three states; Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand. To study
urban demography I have selected cosmopolitan cities of Bhubaneshwar, Kolkata and Jamshedpur.
To study the semi urban and prismatic places I have selected Rourkela, Baripada of Odisha;
Jhargram, Kharagpur and Medinipur of West Bengal; and Chakradharpur of Jharkhand.

The study would also make an empirical study of individuals of various age groups and would like to
find out which age group is more likely to resent to internet activism. The study would also interview
leader from various groups i.e. trade unions, civil society groups, bar associations and students.

Central questions

Is there a relation between class and internet activism, and if so which class seems most likely to
resent to internet activism?

Has the internet activism marginalised interests of some groups and if so which groups are under
represented and which are over represented?

Has the digital media played a key role in proliferating interests of a particular dominant class?

What is the age demography which most likely resents to internet activism?

And finally is there a role of globalisation in this trend of internet activism and apathetic attitude
among people towards other’s interests?

Research Methodology

Methodology of a research is the broad philosophical underpinning through which our research is
assessed. As the study will focus on the historical circumstances of the society, its present trend and
its theoretical aspects, I intend to subscribe to a mixed methodology i.e. historical research,
qualitative research and quantitative research. Through descriptive methodology I will try to discuss
the changes that have led the society to its present condition and the ongoing political process. It
will also be used to explain the current mood and motivation of political participation among
individuals of various age groups and social strata. Then I will come to qualitative methodology. It is
concerned with qualitative phenomenon i.e. phenomenon relating to or involving quality or kind. For
instance, I am interested in investigating the reasons for human behaviour. Through qualitative
methodology I will seek to analyse the basic traits of modernism and growth of acquired status.

Finally through quantitative research I would stratify individuals of various age groups and class and
look towards the trend of social participation among them.

Tools for data collection

1) Questionnaire
2) Telephonic interviews
3) Field survey
4) Schedules
5) Secondary data collection(news videos, media records etc.)