NEW MEDIA AND SOCIAL MOVEMENTS: ONLINE ACTIVISM AS PART OF THE POLITICS OF EVERYDAY LIFE

Abstract

Using the approach of sociocultural anthropology, the research deals with the emergence of online activism by social movements and their impact on the daily experience of individuals when using social networks. The hypothesis of the research is that social movements through online activism mobilize individuals, who then through social networks themselves become part of online activism by sharing announcements and news as part of campaigns on their personal profiles, signing online petitions, etc., and in this way, the political participation of individuals is extended to the domain of everyday life. In a democracy, the political life of an individual is formally expressed, primarily, through elections or, exceptionally, through organized protests. Social networks, on the other hand, represent a means of communication, but today they have become an integral part of everyday life (Miller, 2016). With that in mind, the research should answer two questions. The first question is about how individuals perceive their political role in society and whether social networks and online activism have influenced their experience of participating in political processes of social importance. The second question relates to the way in which members of society have begun to use social networks as a means of political expression and whether politics can be seen today as part of everyday life. Using the theory of practice, following the example of Ortner (1984), in the research it was observed that social networks can extend old forms of political participation, while online activism carries a social and cultural function by becoming a means of reproducing the cultural construct of politics, regulating relations in institutional structures and giving an opportunity to the individual to expand their opportunities in political participation.The work represents a case study, and the respondents are followers of the Kreni-Promeni social movement and their activities in the past year.