How Far We Can Go: A Model of Online Activism, Enabling Dynamics, and Social Change

Social movement organizations increasingly leverage online activism to pursue socio-political change. While research in this area has focused on explaining the role of online activism in developing social movements, less is understood about the underlying dynamics that facilitate change that endures. I draw upon an embedded case inquiry into the online campaigns of a large social movement organization to explore what these campaigns tell us about online activism that commands organizations’ attention and prompts social change. I present a theoretical model that is developed using the critical mass approach to online activism and the fundamental elements of communication theories. The model provides a systematic account of communication tactics that encourage target organizations to go beyond seeing urgency in meeting activists’ demands and embrace long-term opportunities in joining social movements. The model fills important gaps in our understanding of the relationship between online activism, social movements and their consequences.