Journey into Social Activism ─ Qualitative Approaches

Academic study of social activism and social movements has become increasingly prevalent over the years; this is due in large part to the fact that activists have captured public imagination and gained substantial influence in political discourse. For instance, Occupy Wall Street activists, Tea Party activists, and activists affiliated with the Arab Spring have transformed political debates, and have become the focus of mainstream news media coverage about a variety of different political topics. The prevalence of these activists in the public realm has led many students and scholars in academia to examine the ever shifting political landscape of the 21st Century, and the role of social activism within that landscape.

Interestingly, a significant portion of that academic research has relied heavily on qualitative methods, such as ethnography and textual analysis. As more students and scholars look to explore social activism through the use of such qualitative methods, and as activism plays a larger role in contemporary society, it has become vital that researchers fully grapple with the different underpinnings and approaches to conducting qualitative research on this topic. This book explicates the philosophical foundations of the study of activism, and illustrates four different research sites in which activism can be observed and studied: organizations, networks, events, and alternative media. The book will introduce students and scholars to important qualitative approaches to the study of social activism within these four research sites, which is based entirely on successful research projects that have been conducted and published in recent years. Ultimately, this book will prove integral to any students and scholars who wish to use qualitative methods for their research endeavors concerning social activism in contemporary society.

Joshua Atkinson is an associate professor in the School of Media & Communication at Bowling Green State University. Dr. Atkinson's research primarily focuses on the role of alternative media in western activism. Specifically, his research has explored the ways in which activists utilize alternative media to construct contexts for communicative resistance. Over the years, he has interviewed numerous activists and alternative media producers affiliated with a variety of different causes: anti-war, Tea Party, indigenous rights, and more. Recently, Dr. Atkinson's research interests have turned to the exploration of communicative practices utilized by activists in efforts to reclaim lost spaces and shape material environments. His work has been published in prominent communication and media journals like Critical Studies in Media Communication,Mass Communication & Society, and Communication, Culture & Critique.