Research Article

Exploring Change.Org as a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach

Volume: 8 Number: 2 November 25, 2021
TR EN

Exploring Change.Org as a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach

Abstract

Technological developments and especially the Internet have shaped the understanding of culture and society. New forms of politics, economy, business and trade have emerged with digital culture. Digital communication tools have provided effective platforms for people not only to communicate with each other, but also to organize against societal problems. In this context, digital activism has provided opportunities for non-physical gatherings and new modes of organizing. As an e-petition platform, Change.org including various campaigns worldwide, is one of those effective digital activist platforms. Although there are several studies analyzing Change.org as an effective digital activist platform, the extant literature does not include studies that focus on the platform as a heterotopic site. In this context, the current study aims to find out how to understand Change.org as an example of digital heterotopia based on Michel Foucault’s approach. Descriptive case study analysis was selected as the research technique and four categories were identified to analyze the case in a detailed way. The study revealed that Change.org can be considered as an epitome of digital heterotopia which reflects and creates the alternative spaces at the same time, and juxtaposes several spaces, events and issues in a single space with its own community rules.

Keywords

References

  1. Aktaş, M. and Akçay, E. 2019. “Digital Savunuculuk Örneği Olarak ‘Özgecan Yasası’ Change.Org İmza Kampanyası”. Moment Dergi, 6 (2): 305-336. https://doi.org/10.17572//mj2019.2.305336
  2. Beckett, E Agharad, Bagguley Paul and Tom Campbell. 2017. “Foucault, Social Movements and Heterotopic Horizons: Rupturing the Order of Things”. Social Movement Studies 16 (2): 169-181. https://doi.org/10.1080/14742837.2016.1252666
  3. Berg, L Bruce. 2001. Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences. Boston: Allyn-Bacon.
  4. Clark, Rosemary. 2016. “Hope in A Hashtag: The Discursive Activism of #WhyIstayed”. Feminist Media Studies 16 (5): 788-804. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2016.1138235
  5. Change.org Impact Report. 2018. Accessed date 19 August 2020. https://static.change.org/brand-pages/impact/reports/2019/change.org_Impact_Report_english_FINAL.pdf
  6. Change.org. 2020. Detailed Information about Change.org. Accessed date: 20 August 2020, https://www.change.org/
  7. Darwish, Ashraf and Lakhtoria Kamaljit. 2011. “The Impact of the New Web 2.0 Technologies in Communication, Development and Revolutions of Societies”. Journal of Advances in Information Technology 2 (4): 204-216.
  8. Eisenhardt, M Kathleen. 1989. “Building Theories from Case Study Research”. The Academy of Management Review 14 (4): 532-550.

Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

-

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

November 25, 2021

Submission Date

January 5, 2021

Acceptance Date

March 23, 2021

Published in Issue

Year 2021 Volume: 8 Number: 2

APA
Seyidov, I., & Akçay, E. (2021). Exploring Change.Org as a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach. Ankara Üniversitesi İlef Dergisi, 8(2), 239-260. https://doi.org/10.24955/ilef.958572
AMA
1.Seyidov I, Akçay E. Exploring Change.Org as a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach. Ankara Üniversitesi İlef Dergisi. 2021;8(2):239-260. doi:10.24955/ilef.958572
Chicago
Seyidov, Ilgar, and Ebru Akçay. 2021. “Exploring Change.Org As a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach”. Ankara Üniversitesi İlef Dergisi 8 (2): 239-60. https://doi.org/10.24955/ilef.958572.
EndNote
Seyidov I, Akçay E (November 1, 2021) Exploring Change.Org as a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach. Ankara Üniversitesi İlef Dergisi 8 2 239–260.
IEEE
[1]I. Seyidov and E. Akçay, “Exploring Change.Org as a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach”, Ankara Üniversitesi İlef Dergisi, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 239–260, Nov. 2021, doi: 10.24955/ilef.958572.
ISNAD
Seyidov, Ilgar - Akçay, Ebru. “Exploring Change.Org As a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach”. Ankara Üniversitesi İlef Dergisi 8/2 (November 1, 2021): 239-260. https://doi.org/10.24955/ilef.958572.
JAMA
1.Seyidov I, Akçay E. Exploring Change.Org as a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach. Ankara Üniversitesi İlef Dergisi. 2021;8:239–260.
MLA
Seyidov, Ilgar, and Ebru Akçay. “Exploring Change.Org As a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach”. Ankara Üniversitesi İlef Dergisi, vol. 8, no. 2, Nov. 2021, pp. 239-60, doi:10.24955/ilef.958572.
Vancouver
1.Ilgar Seyidov, Ebru Akçay. Exploring Change.Org as a Digital Heterotopia: A Foucauldian Approach. Ankara Üniversitesi İlef Dergisi. 2021 Nov. 1;8(2):239-60. doi:10.24955/ilef.958572