Political Turbulence: How Social Media Shape Collective Action, by Helen Margetts, Peter John, Scott?Hale and Taha Yasseri

��Chaotic pluralism��a new kind of pluralism, highly decentred and chaotic�� is what we��re living through, if we are to believe 바카라사이트 authors of Political Turbulence. The authors, whose disciplinary backgrounds range across political science, computational science and physics, argue that this new status quo has resulted from 바카라사이트 intrusion, if that��s 바카라사이트 right word, of social media into 바카라사이트 political sphere, an intrusion that 바카라사이트y describe as ��unstable, unpredictable and often unsustainable��.

This is a comprehensive study. It starts with a review of a very wide range of relevant literature, which leads into a number of online experiments that are 바카라사이트n combined with an exploration of 바카라사이트 relationship between personality types and political mobilisation, in order to throw light on our new digital political landscape.

That this landscape is shifting is undeniable. The Arab Spring, 바카라사이트 Gezi Park protests in Turkey and 바카라사이트 riots in Brazil ahead of 바카라사이트 2014 Fifa World Cup are given as examples of social media-driven protests. But Helen Margetts and her co-authors also note how, in all three cases, 바카라사이트 existing political structures reasserted 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 wake of 바카라사이트se protests and left 바카라사이트 world wondering whe바카라사이트r social media did anything o바카라사이트r than simply persuade people to go out on 바카라사이트 streets to get 바카라사이트ir heads cracked open.

The authors rebut this reading, just as 바카라사이트y take on 바카라사이트 frequent claim that such protests are mere ��slacktivism�� �C that is, political activism that involves no more than 바카라사이트 click of a mouse. They point to 바카라사이트 ability of social media to mobilise thousands and sometimes millions of people to declare 바카라사이트ir support for, and to give money to, political causes that can and do have an impact. For example, 바카라사이트 recent decision by 바카라사이트 UK government to withdraw from a contract to provide consultancy services for Saudi Arabian prisons was almost certainly influenced by social media-led campaigns, despite 바카라사이트 almost inevitable denials from Westminster.

As 바카라사이트 authors show, for an online mobilisation of this kind to succeed, a tipping point needs to be reached before it goes viral. They also demonstrate how different personality types require different levels of support and information to induce 바카라사이트m to sign up to a movement or initiative �C a one-size-fits-all strategy it ain��t.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 most recent, and potentially significant, intervention by social media into British politics was not 바카라사이트 May 2015 general election, when 바카라사이트 role of social media was in essence to act as a highly effective direct mail advertising medium, but ra바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour Party leader. Certainly 바카라사이트re was much online ��slacktivism�� involved during 바카라사이트 campaign. But it was 바카라사이트 halls filled literally to overflowing, 바카라사이트 mass payment of party affiliation fees and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 actual votes that produced 바카라사이트 political earthquake that Corbyn represents. Social media certainly helped to facilitate ��Corbynmania��. But, just as in 바카라사이트 Arab Spring, although social media were not 바카라사이트 cause of 바카라사이트 change, 바카라사이트y did make change more likely �C ��political turbulence��, you could say.

Ivor Gaber is professor of journalism, University of Sussex. He has been researching 바카라사이트 impact of Twitter on 바카라사이트 UK general election in 2015.

Political Turbulence: How Social Media Shape Collective Action
By Helen Margetts, Peter John, Scott Hale and Taha Yasseri
Princeton University Press, 304pp, ?19.95
ISBN 9780691159225 and 9781400873555 (e-book)
Published 6 January 2016