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From the Streets to the Internet: The Cyber-Diffusion of Contention

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  • Jeffrey M. Ayres

    (Department of Political Science, Saint Michael's College, Colchester, Vermont)

Abstract

The Internet has been widely credited with sparking a revolution in everything from consumer shopping habits and the management of stock portfolios to the practice of popular democracy. It is also leaving its mark on the dynamics of popular contention. Political protest traditionally relied heavily on claims makers' gathering in the streets to contest power holders. The Internet is altering this dynamic by electronically promoting the diffusion of protest ideas and tactics efficiently and quickly across the globe. Less concerned with such constraints as time and geographic space, it has caught policymakers off guard with its ease of public accessibility and immediacy of impact. This cyber-diffusion, however, has a cautionary side: while significantly enhancing the potential for disparate individuals and groups to collectively pool resources and strategy, the Internet also holds the power to turn unreliable and unverifiable information into a global electronic riot.

Suggested Citation

  • Jeffrey M. Ayres, 1999. "From the Streets to the Internet: The Cyber-Diffusion of Contention," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 566(1), pages 132-143, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:anname:v:566:y:1999:i:1:p:132-143
    DOI: 10.1177/000271629956600111
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Tarrow, Sidney, 1996. "Social Movements in Contentious Politics: A Review Article," American Political Science Review, Cambridge University Press, vol. 90(4), pages 874-883, December.
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