Ativismo social digital: a inserção dos movimentos sociais de Manaus nas redes on-line

Abstract

This work aims at discussing the insertion of the digital technologies in the present times, with focus on the social mobilization strategies in the virtual scenery. It also encompasses discussion on the possible political, economic and cultural changes stemming from this process of insertion. Firstly, the notion of democracy and its basis for the building up of a democratic society are discussed. Next, some fundamental aspects relating to the concept of social movements are highlighted in order to allow comprehension about social movements in Brazil at present. Narrowing down the work, the way the social movements have used online social networks in Manaus are scrutinized. Based on exploratory research, two social organizations were chosen to be analyzed as for their use of the Internet: SINTEAM, the syndicate of the workers in education in the Amazonas State and Associação Difusão Amazonas, a collective action social organization. The results show that the two sampled organizations think the use of social networks differently. While the former is clearly representative of the traditional social movements, which have struggling to adapt to the new online reality, the latter is part of a new model of social organization , which have the Internet as a starting point around which all the actions are planned and put into practice. The analysis leads to a broader conclusion that the social subjects of our time have to rethink their working model, namely the communicative model, due to the changes in the scenery from an offline to an online society