Participatory politics : next-generation tactics to remake public spheres / Elisabeth Soep.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Soep, Elisabeth, author.

Series:

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation reports on digital media and learning

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation reports on digital media and learning

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Youth--Political activity.

Youth.

Political participation--Technological innovations.

Political participation.

Internet and youth--Political aspects.

Internet and youth.

Community leadership.

Physical Description:

83 pages ; 21 cm.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2014]

Summary:

Although they may disavow politics as such, civic-minded young people use every means and media at their disposal to carry out the basic tasks of citizenship. Through a mix of face-to-face and digital methods, they deliberate on important issues and debate with peers and powerbrokers, redefining some key dynamics that govern civic life in the process. In Participatory Politics, Elisabeth Soep examines the specific tactics used by young people as they experiment with civic engagement. Drawing on her scholarly research and on her work as a media producer and educator, Soep identifies five tactics that are part of effective, equitable participatory politics among young people: Pivot Your Public (mobilizing civic capacity within popular culture engagements); Create Content Worlds (using inventive and interactive storytelling that sparks sharing); Forage for Information in public data archives; Code Up (using computational thinking to design tools, platforms, and spaces for public good); and Hide and Seek (protecting privacy and information sources). After describing these tactics as they manifest themselves in a range of youth-driven activities-from the runaway spread of the video Kony 2012 to community hack-athons-Soep discusses concrete ideas for cultivating the new literacies that will enable young people to participate in public life. She goes on to consider some risks associated with these participatory tactics, including simplification and sensationalism, and ways to avoid them, and concludes with implications for future research and practice. Book jacket.

Contents:

Participatory Politics: What Sets It Apart? 9

Five Tactics of Participatory Politics 15

Pivot Your Public 15

Create Content Worlds 19

Forage for Information 25

Code Up 33

Hide and Seek 43

Literacies That Support Participatory Politics 51

Mind the Risks 63.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

9780262525770

0262525771

OCLC:

854541681