Social Movements/ Social Media was a great way to adopt a new perspective on situations. While looking at different movements throughout time, starting with the Women’s Rights Movement and ending with #MeToo and #TimesUp, this class provides students a new perspective on movements, the following, and the leaders. Some important factors are often missed while scrolling through Twitter or Instagram. For example, who started this movement? Why? What does the leader’s demographic’s have in common with the movement’s followers? Gender? Race? Beliefs? It is different in each case but it is unique to each movement.
Another aspect looked at is what differentiates a movement from being necessary or a hobby. Some movement’s such as #MeToo are taking over the nation and changing the way people live their everyday lives, providing support, hope, and change. While some consider #FreeTheOrcas or the Animal Rights Movement to be more of a hobby movement, carried on through people with extra time they want to devote to a good cause. For my final presentation, I looked at the documentary #Blackfish about orca whales, and discovered more about this particular movement.
Burning Question: The demographic of the Animal Rights Movement is composed of middle to upper class, white women. How does this impact the movement? Does this have a diminishing effect on the movement’s ability to create effective change? And how does this translate to the movement’s success, or failure, on social media?
Thesis: Throughout time, humans have abused resources available to them for a profit, including animals. Whether for entertainment, research, farming, or clothing, animals are exploited without a voice. Historically, white women have taken on leadership roles in animal rights groups, creating the assumption that animal rights issues are led by middle to upper class, white women. This assumption leads to a racial divide within the movement, and as the movement progresses it must unite to push forward their common goal.
Media Theory- Megaphone: The media theory for the Animal Rights Movement, specifically #blackfish, is a megaphone. The device is used by a small, extreme group, to spread their ideas outward. While the movement itself is radical, they do not expect followers to be as committed. The movement tries to educate, and promote decisions that coincide with their goals. They are not, however, trying to recruit members to join the tight group on the other side of the megaphone.
I used a virtual reality video made by PETA to demonstrate the effect technology can have on social movements.
