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Locating Effective Resistance

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Social Movements and Democracy in the 21st Century

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Abstract

Much has been made of Occupy’s use of new media—with cyber-optimists imaging this usage is an example of the Internet’s capacity to rejuvenate democracy. A sceptical position, here, is in order. The logics fostered by the Internet are consistent with those of neoliberalism. The Internet needs to be viewed as a secondary feature of Occupy. An analysis of the movement indicates that, in truth, it tended more towards analogue forms of organisation and action. Occupy pointed, positively, to the importance of resistance grounded within everyday life and attempts to “reclaim the city,” although the temporary nature of encampments was a limiting factor.

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    Dylan Taylor

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Taylor, D. (2017). Locating Effective Resistance. In: Social Movements and Democracy in the 21st Century . Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-39684-2_8

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