Today I received a printed copy of the book “Del Internet a las calles: #YoSoy132, una opción alternativa de hacer política“. This book was proposed to reflect on the usage of social media in the #YoSoy132 movement and the alternative options for citizen participation in the current context of a crisis of legitimacy regarding political parties. My contribution in this book is the chapter “YoSoy132, un movimiento-red: Autocomunicación, redes policéntricas y conexiones globales” written with my colleague Arnau Monterde (Internet Interdisciplinary Institute – Universitat Oberta de Catalunya). In this chapter we characterize the Twitter networks of #YoSoy132 as a networked social movement according to the decentralized structure, the usage of digital resources and the relationship with other movements from the global revolution.
Abstract
The YoSoy132 movement emerged in the final stretch of the 2012 Mexican presidential elections. The intensive use of communication networks in #YoSoy132 requires that we challenge the critical and interpretative frameworks articulated around traditional social movements studies. In this paper we analyze almost two and a half million tweets in order to define an approach to YoSoy132 and its networked communication. By using social networks analysis techniques, we observe this movement’s relationship with media and Internet platforms. At the same time, we pay attention to its decentralized organization and characteristics and, finally, we examine its relationship to other movements from a global perspective. This study opens, in turn, alternative interdisciplinary perspectives from which to examine the socially networked movements emerging in the 21st century.
Pablo Aragón 