| This project examines transmedia mobilization in the immigrant rights movement in Los Angeles. Utilizing semi-structured interviews, participatory workshops, and rich media archives, this analysis provides an in-depth view of the communication strategies, tools, and skills used by immigrant workers, students, and movement allies of many different backgrounds who live, struggle, and organize in streets, homes, workplaces, and community centers throughout the city. The research employs Communication for Social Change methods to help movement actors articulate their media and technology goals, analyze their most important obstacles, and develop a stronger praxis of digital media literacy. The goal of this project is to understand the conditions under which social movements successfully use networked communication to strengthen movement identity, win political and economic victories, and transform consciousness. The key findings of this analysis suggest that effective use is possible when the media opportunity structure provides openings, movement formations engage in transmedia mobilization, the movement develops a praxis of digital media literacy, and movement formations shift from top-down structures of communicative practice to horizontal, participatory structures that include their social base. The project contributes to social movement theory and practice as well as to the political economy of communication. |
