Communities and Social Justice

Guest lecturer for the Communities and Social Justice (SOCI2301, Undergraduate) second year course, part of Sociology BA programme at Durham University. Delivered two 1-hour interactive lectures on “The impact social media platforms on polarisation and protest mobilisation: From online echo chambers to taking the streets”. During the first part of the lecture, I covered the topic of polarisation, its various definitions and how social media contribute to this phenomena, through echo chambers (who you talk to) and filter bubbles (what content you consume). The students also reflected upon their own experiences with social media, the potential of being inside an echo chamber and proposed suggestions on how to improve social cohesion in this context. The second part of the lecture focused on theories of collective action and how social media platforms have contributed to protest mobilisation with example across the globe where it had made it possible for people to show dissent, get more easily organised and disseminate real-time information. Also, we discussed the dangers of online misinformation and how it can fuel protest that challenge social justice and that promote hate towards minority groups. See more details of the course here