Can Slacktivists Change the World?
Revolution is in the air. Organizations like Avaaz and Get Up! are harnessing the power of multimedia, communication, and technology to broadcast petitions and protests. This course will explore the potential and pitfalls of what some consider a game-changing approach to global campaigning and others deride as “slacktivism” — methods that provide participants with a warm glow without meaningful outcomes.
We will examine the values and motivations behind these online campaigns, and how citizens can influence the conversation more fundamentally than by simply clicking a box. We will critically analyze whether these digital campaigns make a real impact on policy or even global awareness. Finally, we will look into our crystal balls and try to predict how these campaigns will look in the future.
This class is presented in partnership with the Hamiltonian Gallery.
Location
Hamiltonian Gallery
1353 U Street NW
Washington,
DC
20009
Neighborhood: U Street
Past event