Facebook as a Virtual Space in Formatting New Form of Social Movements: A Study on Shahbag Uprising

Abstract

Today, in the age of internet, as a social networking site Facebook is expanding its power of connecting people. Facebook, after being launched in 2004 continues to be a budding phenomenon through which people are connected to each other in a way never experienced before. Keeping pace with the network society the urban youth of Bangladesh are using the power of social networking for several purposes but most importantly for disseminating political thinking. Recent Shahbag Uprising carries out the proof of it. Under these circumstances I felt a genuine urge to plan my master’s dissertation on such a contemporary topic like Facebook in formatting new form of social movement. The major argument of this paper is that Facebook as a social medium has not only changed the very notion of social networking, but also it provides a ‘Space’ for political and social organization and activism as well. This paper will look closely at the extent to how Facebook was used by the activists of Shahbag Movement for organizing the protest, and diffusing awareness of political mobilization among public. This paper will use recognized theories of social movements and communication in order to analyze the role of Facebook as a virtual space in mobilizing crowds towards change and pro-democratic movements. The paper focuses on the various Facebook pages which played crucial roles in garnering the sentiments and opinions of the people about war criminals of Bangladesh, and initiating the protest against the verdict, and in formatting new form of social movements. This paper will make a significant contribution to the social movement discourse of Bangladesh as it has made a pioneering effort in analyzing the role of Facebook in formatting new form of social movements guided by new form of activism.