College Campus Activism:
Editors Note: This piece is a part of a series called 'College Campus Activism'. Start exploring here. For a list of sources, visit our bibliography.
What makes Stanford care?
by Rhea Karuturi
December, 2016
insights
So what can these two groups teach us about college campus activism?
There are two main takeaways:
1. College campus activism is not the same as activism elsewhere.
2. The meaning of participation has changed.
1. College campus activism is not the same as activism elsewhere.
College campuses have unique features that aren't replicated anywhere else. As academic environments, with a history of activism, they allow activists the use of tools that wouldn't be effective in any other environment.
As institutions, the tight social networks found in college campuses can also create an echo chamber where subjects can go viral as they bounce around from one person to another across multiple mediums.
These messages, although broadcast at a large audience, can still feel personal and relevant because of these strong social ties, making the messages more meaningful to those who receive it.
Students have historically been an incredibly politically active demographic, and this too helps activists draw on a history of collective action, and use the rhetoric from previous protests.
2. The meaning of participation has changed.
According to conventional knowledge, the dismal participation rates of FFS and WTU would mean that the groups failed. And yet, we know from experience that that isn't true. And I knew from talking to activists and seeing the progress on their issues these groups had made, that their movement couldn't be termed a failure. And yet, there was a piece missing.
That missing piece is online participation.
In today's world, digital communication has unleashed an avalanche of opportunities to those who want to reach a large audience, and the same is true for activists. Both these groups needed to leverage the student's collective power to amplify their voices, and while one way to do that is by showing up to protests, another equally valid way to show support and broadcast the message to administration was through online support. And that is where these groups succeeded and where the future for campus activism lies.
Conclusion
As we become more connected, it will be easier to organise collective action like protests, and easier to contribute by adding your voice to the crowd's online. But as we saw manifested on college campuses, this loosening of boundaries just makes personal connections and communities that much more important in filtering out exactly what matters, and what is just noise.
Understanding this is essential for activists moving forward -- so they can do the good work they want to, and do it well. Because it takes a lot to heave up our collective consciousness, but when we are moved, we can move mountains.
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For a list of sources, visit our bibliography.