Essay on Nonviolent Resistance Helped by Communication Methods

Malcolm Gladwell’s article "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will not be Tweeted" raises a significant question about the prospective contribution of web-based social networking to the advent of progressive social movement and change. Gladwell’s bold declaration that "the revolution will not be tweeted" is reflective of his view that social media has no useful application in serious activism. Contrasting various elements of the “high-stakes” lunch-counter protests in Greensboro, North Carolina in the 1960’s with the “low-stakes” activism achieved through social media, Gladwell concludes that effective social movements powerful enough to impose change on longstanding societal forces require both “strong ties” among participants and the

Throughout Malcolm Gladwell essay he describes several examples of activism of different political movements. I agree with Gladwell’s argument about social media, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc., is a form of weak-tie activism and strong-tie activism requires strong connections to other individuals who are willing to sacrifice for a cause. Throughout the essay, the author takes us through different scenarios in history to prove his point regarding the difference between traditional activism and non-traditional.

One of the main arguments in Malcolm Gladwell's "Small Change" is that social media has a huge impact on activism positively and negatively.In the 1960's it took 10s of thousands of people to come to make a change like the sit-ins but now with twitter and facebook, people just have to group together and contact the network they want, to make changes.It's a lot safer to get a point across on social media then taking the risks people took back then to get a point across. Social media has no real sense of authority so they don't make as much of a movement as the N.A.A.C.P did. With social media comes no organization or structure which causes false information to be passed around. In the end, both types of activism have their positive and negative

Malcolm Gladwell argues through social media “the traditional relationship between political authority and popular will has been upended, making it easier for the powerless to collaborate, coordinate and give voice to their concerns,” but ultimately concedes this collaboration doesn’t provide enough social motivation to act (Gladwell,

With America’s history of people fighting for their rights, we have become accustomed to the idea that activism needs to be extreme; to cause riots, have aggression, and for people to be put in jail to make a point. We have created an image that there needs to be a fierce willingness to fight, in order for activism to be effective. As Malcolm Gladwell describes in “Why the Revolution Should not be Tweeted”, he reminds us of what ‘real’ activism is and how other generations have risked their lives to make a difference, in both their lives and the future of America. He does not think that activists can be considered true activists if they are non-violent when protesting for their rights. However, Gladwell should consider that protesting

All through history governments and empires have been overthrown or defeated primarily by the violence of those who oppose them. This violence was usually successful however, there have been several situations, when violence failed, that protesters have had to turn to other methods. Non-violent protesting never seemed to be the right course of action until the ideology of Mohandas Gandhi spread and influenced successful protests across the world. Non-violent methods were successfully used, most notably, by Mohandas Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Nelson Mandela.

The strategy and success of the Civil Right’s Movement was the ability to promote and implement nonviolent tactics in the fight for freedom and equal justice. The three types of nonviolent tactics that were used during the Civil Right’s Movement were conceived by Gene Sharp and included “protest and persuasion,” “methods of noncooperation,” and “nonviolent intervention,” (Chapter 6, P.146. "The Act of Disruption" from Engler & Engler This is an uprising: How nonviolent revolt is shaping the 21st century.) Each tactic was used and executed by the group for a specific purpose in helping to relay their message of equal rights, freedom and justice. Examples of how these tactics were orchestrated and carried can be seen in this week’s video, “No Easy Walk,” (No easy walk 1961–1963: Eyes on the prize—America’s Civil Rights Movement 1954–1985 [Video file]. (1994). Retrieved September 5, 2017, from

In his article “Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted”, published in the New York Times on October 2010, Malcolm Gladwell looks closely into the notion of social change and the different means to achieve it. He makes a clear distinction between traditional activism, which implies sacrifices and physical devotion, and current activism, based on social networks. The writer considers that “social media can’t provide what social change has always required” (Gladwell, paragraph 1).

It has been debated though out history whether or not nonviolence “works”. Many societies, and this without question includes the United States, have mostly relied on violent tactics. Many people believe that violence is the only way to stop wars, even though it creates war, and people tend to believe that violence is the one solution to many global and political problems. However, recent literature and research is starting to prove otherwise. Erica Chenoweth, a political scientist, recently published a book, Why Civil Resistance Works in 2011. The research highlights data that shows throughout history, nonviolent tactics are more effective than violent ones in various ways.

Martin Luther King Jr. was born on January 15, 1929, in Atlanta, Georgia. King, both a Baptist minister and civil-rights activist, had an astronomical impact on race relations in the United States in the mid-1950s to the late 1960s. Through his activism, he played a pivotal role in ending the legal segregation of African American citizens in the South and other areas of the United States. He also, played an important role in the creation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. MLK believed in the concept of nonviolent resistance and its necessity in combatting social injustice. In the end, one could say his improvements dealing with segregation were monumentally important for the future of America. Sadly, King was

Malcolm Gladwell’s article "Small Change: Why the Revolution Will not be Tweeted" raises a significant question about the prospective contribution of web-based social networking to the advent of progressive social movement and change. Gladwell bold declaration that "the revolution will not be tweeted" is reflective of his view that social media has no useful application in serious activism. Contrasting various elements of the “high-stakes” lunch-counter protests in Greensboro, North Carolina in the 1960’s with the “low-stakes” activism achieved through social media, Gladwell concludes that effective social movements powerful enough to impose change on longstanding societal forces require both “strong ties” among participants and the

A key argument expressed within “A Force More Powerful” is that non-violent protest is an effective method to motivate social and political change. The documentary provides three case studies as historical instances where non-violent protest met high levels of success. A main purpose of the filmmakers is to investigate the non-violent aspects of popular uprisings that had been previously underestimated in terms of their contribution to a larger conflict. The instances taken as case studies are all of groups marginalised due to racial, colonial, and economic reasons. The histories of the conflicts from which arise the case studies are given only briefly, with a focus upon the groups shown to be oppressed by their respective states and

Free Impact On US Society: Peaceful Resistance Does peaceful resistance to laws positively or negatively impact a free society? The purpose of this essay will be to provide supporting proof that peaceful resistance to laws positively impact a free society. Exactly, 227 years ago the Constitution of the United States of America became the fundamental framework and the supreme law of America systems of government (NCC, 2016). "That government is best which governs least", spoken by David Thoreau share the sentiments of most Americans when the American Revolution was fought to gain independence from the country of England. Ecclesiastics, a book in the Bible, states that there is a time for everything; 1 Corinthians 6:12 states that everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial (Bible, 1991)!

person is not they will continue to obey because at least this way they feel as if they are a

“There is no such thing as defeat in nonviolence” (“Cesar Chavez Quotes,” 2017.) This quote by nonviolent labor activist Cesar Chavez characterizes one of the many practical arguments for nonviolence: the success rate of nonviolent activism, which has been found to be significantly higher than for violent efforts, and that nonviolent movements that fail lead to a higher rate of success in the future. Although many countries and groups still choose violent methods, numerous studies and examples have demonstrated the practical advantages of nonviolent activism. First, studies such as a 2011 study by Erica Chenoweth and Maria Stephan have demonstrated that nonviolent movements have a significantly higher success rate than nonviolent movements. Second, numerous examples, such as the United States’ violent involvement in the Middle East, demonstrate that violent endeavors by countries, also known as hard power, are extremely costly, particularly from a monetary perspective compared to diplomatic efforts, known as soft power. Third, the field of peace psychology, through examples such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder found in people who participate in violent activities, demonstrates that violence is not inherent in humans and that significant psychological harm can result from violent actions. Together, these practical arguments demonstrate that nonviolent actions are superior to violent actions.