Abstract
In contemporary society, the pervasive influence of digital technology has rendered it indispensable for sustaining civic culture. The formation of civic communities is no longer confined to physical spaces; rather, it extends to the digital space as well. In some cases, citizens, who constitute themselves as political entities through remarks and actions on the internet, share their knowledge and values as well as their experiences with others in the digital space, thus mobilizing political movements with shared goals. Today, the virtual community, characterized as a communication-driven community, is a significant aspect of the civic landscape. Considering this relationship between digital technology and civic communities, this study examines how a community, rallying against poverty and comprising low-income individuals and the homeless, is formed and sustained through social media. Examining cases from anti-poverty and anti-homelessness civil groups in urban Australia, the study addresses the challenges posed by neoliberalism, where issues of precarity and poverty are more likely to be attributed to personal failures than to structural inequalities. In a society that places high value on economic rationality and self-reliance, the experience of shame arising from poverty tends to be experienced individually, remaining obscured from the public eye. The study focuses on elucidating how the private experience of shame derived from poverty is transformed into a collective one, potentially leading to the creation of affective solidarity. This collective experience emerges as a force challenging the neoliberal social system by leveraging the reflexive nature of digital technology.
Presenters
Ritsuko KuritaAssociate Professor, Faculty of Foreign Languages, Department of English, Kanagawa University, Japan
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Social Media, Anti-Poverty Communities, Digital technology, Affective Solidarity, Neoliberal Australia
