Month: October 2024

Protest Music: Amplifying Activism in the Digital Age

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The World of Protest Music: Amplifying Political Messages in the Digital Age

Think about this: when do you typically listen to music? At home, bars, restaurants and nightclubs, at concerts, on TV? All these might seem like the obvious answers. However, music has historically been more than just entertainment; it has also been a powerful tool for social and political resistance. Protest music has accompanied movements, bringing people together through a common voice. From the anthems of the 1960s civil rights movement to today’s digital activism, music continues to play a powerful role in driving and amplifying social change. In the digital age, where much activism occurs both online and in physical spaces, protest music has evolved to meet new technological and social realities. In this post, we are going to explore the history of protest music, its transformation in the digital age and its role in hybrid activism, where it transcends both online platforms and street demonstrations.

Protest Music along time…

Throughout history, music has been a core element of social movements, as we all seem to find a really special connection with rhythms and lyrics that allow us to connect in much deeper levels. Whether through union songs, spiritual music, or anti-war ballads, music has conveyed messages that are often more effective than speeches or pamphlets. According to Eyerman and Jamison (1998), music plays an important role in the collective identity formation of social movements, providing a cultural space for participants to express shared values and grievances. Songs like “We Shall Overcome,” which became a central anthem during the U.S. civil rights movement, becoming a great example of the power of music to unify protesters by allowing them to express their demands for justice (Dunaway, 2008).

What makes protest music such a force for change? Perhaps it’s the fact that it’s connected to our own history and brings people together because of shared emotions. Music allows us to connect with others and find common ground on values, struggles and needs. The complexity yet simplicity of music makes it accessible to people all over the world, across language barriers and cultures. Think back to your childhood when you hummed a song in a language you didn’t even understand, but you felt the power and beauty of the melody.

So, what’s the role of music in the Digital Age?

Digital platforms, social media, the internet in general have changed us all and become an important part of society, social movements have also adapted to the new ways in which we communicate and interact with one another. This has meant that the reach and potential influence of protest music has expanded in many ways. Thanks to the democratization of music production and distribution, it has become easier for anyone to produce and distribute music online. According to Serrano (2021), digital platforms have turned music into a global language of protest, with songs frequently going viral and inspiring movements across borders.

Many impactful example have been present in the past years, one of them was during the #BlackLivesMatter protests in 2020, where Kendrick Lamar’s song “Alright” was frequently sung at rallies and widely shared on social media as an unofficial anthem of resistance against systemic racism (Brown & Volpe, 2020). The power to viralize moments, is a very powerful tool for citizens and a way to ask for social change, something that before could not even be imaged. It’s crazy then to think that the normalized reality we have today didn’t exist just a few decades ago; today it’s easy to make a viral event on the other side of the world, making the globe much smaller and the causes we fight for much more connected.

Music has always been an important instrument of digital activism and will remain so. Songs serve as anthems for movements, rallying cries that capture the emotional intensity of a protest while conveying its political message. Social media platforms in particular enable the wide distribution of protest songs, which can be remixed and adapted by different movements around the world. According to Nayar (2018), digital platforms have democratized the production and dissemination of protest music, allowing new and diverse voices to emerge in the space of political expression.

For instance, feminist movements have effectively used music to spread their message online. The Chilean feminist collective Las Tesis created the viral song and performance piece “Un Violador en Tu Camino” (A Rapist in Your Path) in 2019, which quickly spread across Latin America and Europe, being performed and remixed by women protesting gender violence (Fischer, 2020). This example shows how digital platforms enable protest music to transcend geographical borders and create a common language of resistance across different countries and movements.

Additionally, the accessibility of digital music production tools has allowed for greater collaboration among artists and activists from different parts of the world. Artists can now create and share protest music in real time, contributing to a global conversation about justice and equity. This global network of protest music has reinforced the notion that social movements are interconnected, regardless of geography, as artists build on each other’s work to address universal struggles such as racism, gender violence, and climate change (Nayak, 2021).

Let us know what you think and stay tuned for the next blog post about music and other relevant topics related to digital activism.

References

  • Beer, D. (2013). Popular culture and new media: The politics of circulation. Palgrave Macmillan.
  • Brown, M., & Volpe, M. (2020). Music and the Movement: Protest, Intervention, and Political Music During Black Lives Matter. Journal of African American Studies, 24 (4), 402-417.
  • Bunaway, D. K. (2008). How can you keep on moving? Labor, music, and migration. In R. D. Cohen (Ed.), Songs about work: Essays in occupational culture for Richard A. Reuss (pp. 40–56). Indiana University Press.
  • Eyerman, R., & Jamison, A. (1998). Music and social movements: Mobilizing traditions in the twentieth century. Cambridge University Press.
  • Fischer, E. (2020). “Un Violador en Tu Camino”: The Anthem of Feminist Resistance in Chile and Beyond. Gender, Place & Culture, 27 (5), 717-719.
  • Nayar, P. (2018). Digital world: A critical introduction. Polity.
  • Nayak, A. (2021). Protest Music in the Digital Age: The Intersection of Music and Social Movements. *Cultural Sociology, 15 (3), 346-358.
  • Rosenstone, R. A. (2013). The historical film as real history. Routledge.
  • Serrano, F. (2021). The Soundtrack of Resistance: Music and Protest in the Digital Age. Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, 35 (4), 565-580.
  • Tufekci, Z. (2017). Twitter and tear gas: The power and fragility of network

Digital Technologies and Social Mobilisation

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Source: Freepik.

Hi, I’m Tábata, a Communication for Development student at Malmö University with a keen interest in social equity and technology.

In this section, we’ll be exploring the history of the internet and the inequalities that accompany it, from the digital divide to disparities in access and digital literacy. We’ll delve into how these issues affect various communities and examine the broader implications for development and social change. Join me as we uncover the challenges and potential solutions to creating a more equitable digital landscape for everyone! 👩🏻‍💻

Today, I am going to introduce you very briefly to the history of the internet, the relationship between digital technologies and social mobilisation and the discourse around digital inequalities during each stage.

In recent decades, both the internet and digital technologies have become easily accessible and an essential tools in our daily lives. Think about it; could you go a day without texting on your phone, looking something up online or using navigation apps such as Google Maps to find a place? You couldn’t, could you? These innovations have transformed how we work, communicate and navigate society. Because of their accessibility, many people think that digital organising is easy and free, and that the Internet increases participation in our society and reduces inequality. However, the so-called ‘great equaliser’ is not as universally accessible or empowering as it is often thought to be. The assumption that the digital space offers everyone an equal voice hides another reality: that digital inequality continues to reproduce broader societal inequalities—particularly those rooted in class power.

But, before we have a deeper look into specific examples of digital inequality (and its consequences), it’s important to have a look at the two main stages of the relationship between digital communication and social mobilisation. 

WEB 0.1 

In the 1990s, during the phase often referred to as Web 0.1, the internet was characterised by one-way communication. Information was published by a few and consumed by the many. Users mostly read and accessed content, rather than contributing to it. Additionally, user interaction was very limited and features like comments, forums, and social networking were very basic. Websites acted more like digital brochures, focusing on information dissemination without significant user engagement.

Despite these limitations, there was a significant connection between social movements and digital platforms. This era brought about the emergence of ‘activist networks’ and the concept of ‘connected multitudes,’ where collective identities were formed through shared struggles. Social movements benefitted from the growing viral communication flows, and prioritised autonomous development in reaction to the increasing commercialisation of the Internet. Free software models inspired these movements by showing that cooperation could be an effective strategy to follow.

WEB 0.2

In the 2000s, Web 2.0 transformed the internet into a more interactive, participatory space, characterised by user-generated content, dynamic websites, and rich multimedia integration. Knowledge-sharing became more accessible since platforms allowed users to create content and share it. Social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter gained immense popularity, facilitating many-to-many conversations and building online communities. These platforms gradually displaced older communication tools like email and blogs.

During this time, social movements we all saw on TV such as the Arab Spring and #MeToo used social media to spread their messages. Nonetheless, relying on these platforms meant giving up some control over how their content was managed because of the way such platforms operate.

Digital inequalities

To understand digital inequality a bit better, there are two key concepts we need to consider. The first one is affordance. So, what’s an affordance? It’s something that hints at or allows a specific action. In the digital world, affordances are tied to how tools and platforms are designed. For example, when a button looks clickable, people are likely to click it. Likewise, a user-friendly design can encourage people to get more involved and interact more actively. So far, so good. But the problem at hand is that affordances are not neutral. They can benefit certain actions, groups, or viewpoints over others and they often privilege users with specific skills, digital literacy or resources. Thus, individuals or groups who are better equipped to navigate these platforms are more likely to succeed in digital activism.

On the other hand, there is the question of affordability. This concept is more straight-forward. It simply refers to what you can afford to buy. Here, we are talking about the cost of devices, internet services, etc., all of which can limit participation in the digital sphere. This often means that wealthier individuals or communities have a clear advantage when it comes to using digital platforms for activism and other types of participation.

During the early days of the internet, these inequalities were already visible, leading to the widespread use of the term ‘digital divide’, whose main focus was on access to technology and the internet, particularly in educational settings, and prompted efforts to reduce it. As internet usage expanded, research on digital inequality evolved, moving beyond simple access to address a broader range of factors—including the ability to create, produce and effectively use digital content.

The shift from the ‘digital divide’ to ‘digital inequality’ during the Web 2.0 era raised new questions about not just who had access to online content, but also who was shaping it. These ongoing disparities, which we will explore further in future posts, highlight the fact that, in practice, becoming part of the media landscape today demands a significant amount of organisational effort, resources, and digital literacy. All of these are skills and opportunities which are far from universally accessible or low-cost.

Let us know!

We’d love to hear from you: have you or anyone in your community experienced unequal access to digital tools? How has it impacted your ability to participate in activism?

In our next blog post, we’ll take a closer look at digital inequalities by providing examples from existing literature, focusing on how these disparities continue to shape emerging social movements. Stay tuned!

Also, follow us on Instagram for more insights: @ida_insidedigitalactivism 📲

References:

Unpacking Digital Artivism: A First Look

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Image by NoName_13 from Pixabay. Modified by Percy Chang. The note in the fortune cookies read  “Your art can light the path to a better world; let it shine online.”

Same Spirit, New Outlets

Back in the mid-’90s, I had a brief stint as a fiery college student in Taiwan, where democracy was flourishing. I joined my fellow students, armed with poster pens and cardboard, to advocate for human rights and against the tensions coming from across the strait. Yep, I’ve just given away my age! But those were the good times when we physically took to the streets, facing the authorities and telling them face-to-face what we stood for. Telling isn’t always the best strategy, but our art, street acts, acoustic guitar sessions with spontaneous lyric writing, and memorable protest symbols captured the attention and built a strong sense of solidarity within a community dedicated to freedom of speech. Today, that same spirit thrives online. Digital artivism is highly accessible, allowing artists to explore diverse forms of expression, from digital illustrations and interactive design to video art. For activists without a graphical background, could use AI tools to generate creative visuals. Once combined forces with compelling social media campaigns, global audiences can be reached for meaningful social change! At the same time, they can receive instant feedback and perhaps adjust strategies efficiently in real-time. For this introductory post, I’d like to briefly present three examples that give a practical view of digital artivism in action. While this is just a quick overview, it might pique your interest and encourage you to explore the links to the creative movement in activism and learn more!

  1. Self Help Graphics & Art: Since the 1970s, this minority-led organisation rooted in community has fostered local artists to create visuals that inspire action and teach activists about the power of visual art. In recent years, they’ve expanded their impact by embracing digital platforms. This allows their initiatives to empower artists and activists worldwide, all from their vibrant neighbourhood in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California.
  2. Terra Movement Platform:  Founded in 2020 by Sofia Hadjisof during the pandemic lockdown, Terra Movement began as a one-woman effort from her studio. She invites artists worldwide to collaborate, using their creativity to tackle climate change. It shows that with a cause based on passion and the use of digital tools, anyone can start a movement and start making an impact.

Image source from Terra Movement.

 3. #AllEyesOnRafah: During the Israel-Hamas conflict in early May 2024, an Instagram post with an AI-generated image and the slogan ‘All eyes on Rafa’ was shared over 47 million times within only two days. All around the world, activists, influencers, and celebrities post it on their accounts to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Rafah. I will not go into it but here is a good article about how the post was created. This marks a breakthrough in digital artivism, as with the help of AI, artists and activists could create ‘sanitised’ images to address critical issues without getting blocked or taken down by AI algorithms and human moderators. Screenshot Caption: “AI-generated image from the ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ campaign, which went viral during the Israel-Hamas conflict in May 2024.” Source: Image and information sourced from NPR article, “All Eyes on Rafah: The Most Viral AI Meme, Malaysia Artists Claim Credit”. Link to the article

Future Envision

Imagine stepping into a VR world where you become a clownfish swimming in a suffocated ocean, navigating through polluted waters. Feeling the struggle and urgency firsthand could make us more empathetic and driven to advocate for ocean conservation. If these experiences were made available to everyone—from policymakers and leaders to youngsters and everyone in between—they could transform how we understand and engage with environmental issues. I am excited about emerging technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) that are set to revolutionise how art is created and experienced after reading this published report from the Pew Research Center on The best and most beneficial changes in digital life that are likely by 2035 (Chavda & Chavda, 2024), These immersive environments can engage us emotionally and intellectually, bringing art and activism to a deeper level. Jonathan Kolber, author of “A Celebration Society,” stated, “I believe that we will see multiple significant and positive developments in the digital realm by 2035. The widespread availability of immersive VR (sight, sound, touch, and even limited smell and taste) at a low cost… will offer experiences of wonder, learning and play.” Of course, everything has two sides. My focus is on how we can develop and improve, seeing possibilities and working through obstacles. 

Exploring Digital Artivism Together

As a working artist beginning my journey in Communication for Development studies, this project opens the door for me to examine how artists use digital platforms to address social issues and engage communities. In my world, where freedom of speech feels like a playground, I’m curious about those who face greater restrictions. How do they navigate their platforms and convey their messages despite these challenges? My name is Percy Chang and I invite you to join me on this journey as we explore these important questions together. I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. Feel free to follow us on Instagram @ida_insidedigitalactivism and interact!

For a deeper dive into digital artivism

Check out Digital Artivism: Pictures Worth Thousands of Words by Ana Filipa Maceira, with illustrations by Irem Kurt. It offers an enlightening perspective on how digital platforms amplify activist voices.  Another insightful source is the academic journal Dissent Art in the Digital Age: Insights into the Culture of Artivism on Instagram in India by Bhawna Parmar. This work delves into how artivists use Instagram to express dissent and drive social change, particularly in response to significant political events. 

Bounce a Thought Our Way!  

Can you share a few examples of digital or traditional artists who have inspired you with their activism on online platforms? Please comment with their names, the messages they conveyed, and how you first came across those messages (which platform did you use?)

 

Protests online and offline

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“One of the most vital ways we sustain ourselves is by building communities of resistance, places where we know we are not alone.”
bell hooks

I ran into this quote on an Instagram account that shares information on demonstrations and protests that are happening in Finland in support of Palestinians. The idea of resistance as a comforting action, a way of building community is fascinating.

For me taking part in a demonstration has always been an emotional experience. 2018 when huge climate marches happened everywhere, also in Finland, it felt good, and comforting to realise that millions of others are concerned about climate issues and are willing to use their time to come together, make signs, and march together. For a moment it felt like together we can change the development and heal the environment.

For the past year, pro-Palestine demonstrations have taken place all around Finland, in Helsinki every week. Coming together, and showing solidarity has felt important, and personally also a place where you can grieve. Over 14 000 children have died in the war in Gaza after October 2023. Witnessing that horror – through digital channels – is overwhelming and deeply sad. Some of the demonstrations have been silent candle demonstrations, they felt a kind of memorial service for those who lost their lives.

A homeplace

The quote in the beginning is from the book Yearning: Race, Gender, and Cultural Politics. In the same book hooks describes a site of resistance, a homeplace, like this:

“This task of making homeplace was not simply a matter of black women providing service; it was about the construction of a safe place where black people could affirm one another and by so doing heal many of the wounds inflicted by racist domination. We could not learn to love or respect ourselves in the culture of white supremacy, on the outside; it was there on the inside, in that “homeplace,” most often created and kept by black women, that we had the opportunity to grow and develop, to nurture our spirits.”

What kind of communities of resistance are there in the digital world? And how the protests and demonstrations in real life are in connection with the digital world? Protests are photographed and live-streamed to social media, social media channels are used as a way to share information and educate people. But the idea of a homeplace, a community of resistance highlights the importance of collective support and a feeling of community – can you get that also digitally?

In my IDA blogposts, I will explore this topic. The links between online and offline activism. This blog post-series is also my journey of finding ways and methodologies to study the topic.

Online, offline, or both?

I come from Finland, where even small children have their mobile phones. The digital world is intertwined in everything we do. From my perspective, all offline activism is somehow connected to digital channels. Can online and offline activism even be separated?

“The success of online activism is reliant on several factors, chief among them, the effective coordination with offline activities. Even those who believe the internet was instrumental in determining the success of the Arab Spring would admit that had activists not taken to the streets, then perhaps, having typically overstayed his mandate, the ex-President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, would not have seen the need to give up.” Mutsvairo (2016)

This quote from the book Digital Activism in the Social Media Era argues that online activism needs offline activism, to be able to achieve change. Mutsvairo continues with an explanation of an argument by Anduiza et al. (2009) who have characterized activism in three different categories, drawing a distinction between activities that are only possible online, those only conceivable offline, and offline activities that can also be carried out online. This distinction seems like a good starting point for my expedition in digital activism.

What next?

Having a channel where to communicate and finding the right audience is already the first step of building a community. The digital world is not accessible to all, but for those who can access digital channels, it offers a way to speak for themselves. A study from Zimbabwe argues that digital tools are empowering activists:

“The study found that social media has given Zimbabwe’s unique digital activists the power, in real or illusory sense, to challenge narratives of-ten advanced by post-colonial hegemonies.“ Karam et al. (2021)

The text also suggests that social media platforms offer a space and a voice perhaps in the same way that coffee houses and restaurants before. Could you even say: a digital homebase?

Best,
Noora

Before you go, I would like to ask about your experiences. What kind of experiences do you have about taking part in digital activism? Did you feel you were a part of a community of resistance, a homeplace?

 

References:
  • Anduiza, E., Cantijoch, M., & Gallego, A. (2009). ‘Political participation and the Internet.’ Information, Communication & Society.
  • hooks, bell (2015): Yearning: Race, Gender, and Cultural Politics.
  • Karam, Beschara; Mutsvairo, Bruce (eds.) (2021): Decolonising Political Communication in Africa-Reframing Ontologies.
  • Mutsvairo, Bruce (2016): Digital Activism in the Social Media Era.

Hello and Welcome! 🎶✨

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I’m Ana, one of the five voices behind this blog, and I’m thrilled to be here! I’m a Communication for Development student at Malmö University with a passion for exploring how music can be a powerful tool for change. I’ll be diving into the vibrant world of protest music, exploring how it acts as a megaphone for social movements—especially in the digital age.

In my section of the blog, we’ll delve into the role of music in activism, considering its impact across different communities and issues. Together, we’ll explore how music not only reflects social movements but also shapes them, fueling development and sparking social change.

Here’s a fun fact to get us started: Did you know that the famous protest song “Give Peace a Chance” by John Lennon was recorded in a hotel room? Lennon and Yoko Ono invited friends, reporters, and peace supporters to join them in their “Bed-In for Peace,” turning the recording session into an accessible protest for all (Schinder, 2007). 🎤✌️

Stay tuned for my posts, where we’ll journey through everything from historical anthems to today’s digital protest playlists. And don’t be shy—I’d love to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and favorite protest songs, so feel free to drop a comment and join the conversation!

Let’s tune in for change together! 🎧✨

 

Reference

Schinder, S. (2007). The encyclopedia of recorded sound. Routledge.

Welcome to IDA

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#BlackLivesMatter, #MeToo, and #ClimateStrike are a few examples of global and well-known movements from recent years – and they all gain their power from the digital world. These examples reached massive popularity. In the year 2020 hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was used roughly 47.8 million times on Twitter only in a few weeks. The movement was activated after the death of George Floyd. Fridays for Future and the #ClimateStrike movement went viral in 2018 as students and activists worldwide organized online to protest government inaction on climate change. Digital activism played a crucial role in coordinating climate strikes in hundreds of cities.

These are some well-known success stories of digital activism, but not the whole picture. Digital activism can also be local, unsuccessful, artistic, or even fake. IDA – Inside Digital Activism -blog dives into the digital world and takes a close look at different phenomena of digital activism.

Digital activism might look like an easy and cheap way of mobilizing people and pushing social change, all you need is a group of people with mobile phones. NGOs, political parties, and activists are all searching for the killer hashtag that would be the next viral hit and reach the audience they want. Even if you’re not targeting a global audience, activism in a digitalized world cannot exist without a digital dimension.

We, the writers of the blog, are Ana, Noora, Percy, and Tábata, a group of Communication for Development master’s students passionate about exploring how communication can drive positive change in the world. Through this blog, we aim to share our insights, experiences, and reflections as we dive into the complexities of development communication. Whether you’re a fellow student, a development professional, or just curious about the field, we hope you’ll find our posts thought-provoking and inspiring.

This blog will look into the limitations and risks of digital activism such as inequality in online activism and the rise of fake content in digital channels. Tábata will investigate disparities in access to technology, participation in digital activism, and the inclusion and exclusion within online movements, examining how activists are addressing these challenges.

IDA-blog will also take a closer look at different formats of digital activism. Percy is going to explore how digital activism meets creativity – ‘Digital Artivism’? How do artists measure the impact of digital formats and available data collection tools? What are the recent projects and discussions of the challenges that artists face? Ana will dive into the world of protest music – and music with political messages. Music has long traditions as a tool in social movements – what is its role in the digital era? Many movements and protests live both in real and digital life. Noora will explore how real-life protests, street demonstrations and occupations are connected to digital activism.

Stay tuned for the following posts! It would be great if you would drop a comment or question: what is the phenomenon that we should explore or a theory that you would like to know more about?