In his article, “Small Change", Malcolm Gladwell claims through his use of acknowledging the counterclaim, sequencing, and juxtapositioning that although social media seems to have reinvented true activism and produces small change, its weak ties and hierarchy shows how it is not true activism and does not bring huge change. In the middle of his article, Gladwell builds his credibility by acknowledging the counterclaim. After saying that social media platforms promote weak ties between people that do not normally associate with each other face to face, he takes note that there are advantages to weak ties and agrees saying, “Our acquaintances - not our friends - are our greatest source of new ideas and information . . . it is terrific at the …show more content…
For instance, in the beginning of his article, Gladwell tells the details of an event that happened in Greensboro, North Carolina in which in response to being refused to be served at a Woolworth's lunch counter, four African American college students protested against the business and started a trend of sit-ins throughout cities and states. These sit-ins caused thousands to be arrested and “became a civil-rights war that engulfed the South for the rest of the decade" (Gladwell). Continuing later in his article, Gladwell elaborates about the Facebook page of the Save Darfur Coalition in which despite having 1,282,339 members, the average donation is nine cents per person. In response, Gladwell states that, “Facebook activism succeeds . . . by motivating them to do the things people do when they are not motivated enough to make a real sacrifice. We are a long way from the lunch counters of Greensboro" (Gladwell). In making this comment, Gladwell argues that people who participate in social activism via social media are not making an enormous contribution to a problem, as shown by the minuscule donations made by the members of the Save Darfur Coalition Facebook page, compared to the momentous, impactful actions of the protesters who fought for their civil rights in Greensboro, North Carolina. In this case, Gladwell strategically sequenced his argument by presenting the Greensboro story at the beginning so readers would think logically and understand his perspective of why the social activists on Facebook are doing much less, concealed behind their computer screens and giving little, than the activists who took part in high-risk activism and attacked serious social norms and was met with violence. For this reason, readers can see how social media has a weak sense of motivation to create a deep impact on a serious problem due to how there is no organization,
The Ohioans suffered from low income. So they decided to come together to protest for a change. It is also one out of thirty campaigns being waged around the country. The activist that was involved in the campaign stated that they were following civil rights leader Martin Luther King´s example. They also mentioned that they will participate in non-violent civil disobedience to end racism. ¨It is not ok to let our children go without. It is okay to let the homeless be the answer. We must meditate and pray, we must act, and we must persevere,¨ says Stewart. The Ohio activists say that they will risk arrest if their agenda is not
This paper analyzes and responds to Malcolm Gladwell’s The New Yorker article, “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted,” concluding that though Gladwell provides a decent context for his argument, it is ultimately made less effective because of its comparisons and underlying assumptions. This paper shows how Gladwell’s comparison of contemporary social movements to those of a prior non-digital age works against his main argument by drawing an unfair parallel in which the two systems of comparison are far too different to draw any binary conclusions. The purpose of this paper is to consider how rhetoric, including the use of ethos and pathos, can influence how readers think about issues of social and political justice.
The interesting and intricate website of the NAACP, has empowered voters to donate to the NAACP and motivated voters to make a difference by helping the NAACP. The NAACP inspires the public because of their past victories and their involvement in new rights abuses, which are displayed on their website. The public can gain access and stay connected to the NAACP by becoming a member, donating, joining a local unit, following the NAACP on social media, reading their blog, and signing up for their email chain. The website even lists new projects and events that the NAACP are taking part
In the article, “Get Over It”, by Jeff Jarvis, he discusses the importance of social media and being public about certain actions. Some people do not realize the benefits of social media and how it can bring a community together. For example, “We are sharing because it brings benefit. We meet people, make friends and stay connected. We spread ideas. We get attention. We gather information. We gain trust through transparency” (431). Jarvis is attempting to convey a message alerting the public that through the sharing of knowledge and moments in one’s life can evoke relationships among people and build a
In his article “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted”, published in the New York Times on October 2010, Malcolm Gladwell looks closely into the notion of social change and the different means to achieve it. He makes a clear distinction between traditional activism, which implies sacrifices and physical devotion, and current activism, based on social networks. The writer considers that “social media can’t provide what social change has always required” (Gladwell, paragraph 1).
Uprisings against police crimes, protests on Israeli occupation, lobbying for gay rights, striking for a higher minimum wage, etc. are all fought with the same fist and same power: that of the people. Just in recent months, black activists in Chicago have traveled with student groups to Palestine in opposition of apartheid, and Palestinians marched beside the black community during the Black Lives Matter movement. Political prisoner Angela Davis lead the community hand-in-hand with Rasmea Odeh, a contemporary victim of political repression. The same can be said about so many other organizations and communities here in Chicago. The struggles of so many across the globe are unified here in Chicago by the thread of tyranny and injustice. This unifying thread only serves to symbolize how struggles belong to no single body or group of people, but are obstacles that must be overcome by the global
In the article “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted” by Malcolm Gladwell, he argues that the use of social media to start a revolution doesn’t help the cause to be as big or impactful than it could be. He explains the connection between social media with “weak-ties” versus “strong-ties.” In relation with these “ties,” throughout the article Gladwell goes back and forth from discussing the successful approaches of the Civil Rights Movement and their strategies for their cause without the use of social media, to how ineffective other various organizations in the past and present turned to social media to try their cause.
Debunking the myth of hierarchical necessity brings us back to the question regarding the role of social media. Gladwell elegantly states that social media is "not a natural enemy of the status quo." Thus, the question becomes whether social media can in fact contribute to the process of forming a significant social movement and effective social action, as opposed to whether it can serve as a satisfactory substitute for that process. Referring to the previous example, a phone is not a branch of government, but a phone if properly utilized can mobilize a large
In the reading “Small Change : Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted,” Malcolm Gladwell discusses the act of four brave college students and their act of social activism. The four freshmen from a local all black college sat down at a counter in a diner near Greensboro, North Carolina and were denied service because of their race. The students refused to leave and instead started a protest there at the restaurant. The numbers of people protesting with the four young men increased as the story spreaded across states. The story of the sit in was done without the use of any technology or social network. Gladwell discussed the effectiveness of the sit-in because of the relationship between
Lewis, however, highlights these people whose lives will be greatly affected by decisions about and fights for civil rights so that those who are marching remember that the fight continues and has real consequences. Therefore, Lewis’ remarks in the first paragraph demonstrate that he identifies with the concerns of grassroots activists across the country who could not attend the march, and he explains that he has doubts about this march doing enough if the movement does not focus more on the grassroots efforts of its members. (Ms. Pruden)
The first paper I have chosen to review is called Reflections on Occupy #Everywhere: Social Media, public space and emerging logics of aggregation. The author argues that social media has changed the way protest movements such as Occupy organize and communicate with their members, allowing the movement to reach a larger audience than would otherwise be possible (Juris, 2012, para. 1). The author’s evidence is valid, and comes from qualitative observation of the growth of the Occupy movement in general, and Occupy Boston in particular. The author’s evidence is relevant to his argument, as it supports the role that social media played in the formative phases of the Occupy movement.
Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, have allowed their users to stay connected with others more than ever before. Although, when it comes to social and political activism, these sites are the least effective method for change. The creation of these social media sites has made many people believe that, by spreading their “knowledge” and information to their followers and fellow networkers, they can easily solve an issue that has risen in society; however, Malcolm Gladwell, staff member of The New Yorker magazine, disagrees. In his essay, Gladwell opens with a description of the Greensboro sit-ins. He emphasizes how effectively members participating
Some, including Malcolm Gladwell, a famous Canadian journalist, uphold a negative view that social media is not capable to make real social activisms. In the article, Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted, Gladwell states, “the platforms of social media are built around weak ties,” (Gladwell 406) whereas high-risk activisms in the past concern more of the strong ties. In other words, Malcolm believes that closed relationships are critically required for the activisms while social media only provides distant connections among acquaintances. Therefore, weak ties offered by social media, “seldom lead to high-risk activism”
What determines a movement? Malcolm Gladwell defines what pushes a movement to make a difference. He analyzes the concept of “strong ties” and “weak ties” and how these relationships affect an individual’s willpower and determination to help a cause. Gregory Orr puts these ideas into context in his memoir, “Return to Hayneville”, in which he recounts his experience and involvement in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Malcolm Gladwell’s “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted”, focuses, in particular, on the civil rights movement concentrates to the lunch counter sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina. Gladwell’s ideas and opinions of social and political emancipations are given a real world setting, as
According to Dictionary.reference.com, activism is the policy or action of using campaigning to bring about political or social change. A huge campaign that is well known across the world, the Civil Rights Movement, was brought about by Martin Luther King, Jr. King risked his life everyday to ensure justice and equality for the African American race. “Small Change” by Malcolm Gladwell gives insight on how activism is more effective than social media, especially from one scenario at the Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. Gladwell points out his strong belief of what activism can do for a society rather