Digital technologies and activism in authoritarian contexts and beyond /

Provides a critical, global perspective on the contested relationship between technology, activism and democracyExamines how digital technologies mediate power dynamics within authoritarian and other regimes and shape the possibilities and limitations of activismExplores how activists navigate techn...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Other Authors: Ahmed, Zahid Shahab (Editor), Akbarzadeh, Shahram (Editor), Yilmaz, Ihsan (Editor)
Format: eBook
Language:English
Published: Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, [2026]
Subjects:
Description
Summary:Provides a critical, global perspective on the contested relationship between technology, activism and democracyExamines how digital technologies mediate power dynamics within authoritarian and other regimes and shape the possibilities and limitations of activismExplores how activists navigate technological and political constraints, including their use of alternative tools and strategiesAnalyses the intersection of political, economic, and social forces in shaping technologies and their consequences for activist movementsInvestigates the paradoxical role of technologies, highlighting both their empowering potential and their use as instruments of surveillance and repressionPromotes a historically grounded and context-sensitive understanding of technologies and activist practices, challenging universalized narratives of digital activismThis volume examines the complex and often paradoxical relationship between technologies and activism in authoritarian contexts. While technologies offer activists new tools for empowerment, networking and self-representation, they are equally susceptible to co-optation by political and corporate interests, resulting in heightened surveillance, censorship and threats to democratic processes. Moving beyond a narrow focus on digital tools, the book adopts a broad and inclusive definition of technologies to explore their diverse roles in shaping activism. Contributors investigate both the empowering and constraining effects of technologies across a range of authoritarian regimes, providing in-depth insights into the ways activists navigate and contest restrictive environments in authoritarian contexts and beyond. By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives, the volume offers a comprehensive analysis of the opportunities and challenges facing activism today, enriching our understanding of the evolving interplay between technology, power and democratic aspirations in different contexts.
Physical Description:1 online resource (xiv, 363 pages) : illustrations (black and white)
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:9781399550505 (electronic bk.)
9781399550512
1399550519
1399550500