Guerrilla Democracy: Mobile Power and Revolution in the 21st Century

Description

Combining cutting edge theories with empirical research, this timely book offers an in-depth analysis of current platform-based radical movements to show how digital technologies revolutionise political and economic organising. The liberating promise of big data and social media for creating more responsive democracies and workplaces is overshadowed by a nightmare of election meddling, privacy invasion, 'fake news' and an exploitive gig economy. Yet, while regressive forces spread disinformation and hate, 'guerilla democrats' continue to foster hope and connection through digital technologies. This book offers an in-depth analysis of platform-based radical movements, from the online coalitions of voters and activists to the 'Deliveroo' and 'Uber' strikes. Combining cutting edge theories with empirical research, it makes an invaluable contribution to the emerging literature on the relation of technology and society.

Peter Bloom is Professor of Management at the University of Essex. Owain Smolovic Jones is Senior Lecturer in the Department of People and Organisations at the Open University. Jamie Woodcock is Senior Lecturer in the Department of People and Organisations at the Open University.

"In our darkening times of a climate emergency and efforts by global elites to truncate democracy, this book is an indispensable tool for finding hope and solidarity in digital activism's myriad forms." Tithi Bhattacharya, Purdue University "Politics has been infected, and it has a serious case of guerrilla democracy. This wide-ranging new study looks at how activists draw on digital technologies to resist neoliberalism and create alternatives." Andre Spicer, City, University of London