The Power of Student Activism, Protest, Social Media, Hashtag: The Youth Are Talking

Presenter's country

Nigeria

Start Date

27-5-2016 2:35 PM

End Date

27-5-2016 3:40 PM

Location

Hall II

Submission type

Presentation

Abstract

Youths are harnessing the power of social media, demonstrations and protest as means of activism, platform for channeling their grievances, defending their human right and in their quest for inclusion in decision-making process. With social media as face book, twitter and internet at their disposal, student access almost instantaneously information and debate almost instantly with anyone anywhere in the world. The Internet and social media have changed the way in which young people communicate among themselves and ways they engage in civic life (Menard, 2010). The South African students are not immune to this concept. The world will not forget in a hurry the 2015 fee must fall campaign in South Africa. University students stood against school fees increment and outside sourcing. Historically, student protest in Johannesburg was recorded on June 16, 1976 during the student-protest demonstration against the decree issued by the Bantu Education. With this background, the paper discuss the roles of protest and social media in student’s civic engagement .The paper discuss also the June 16,1976 student-protest demonstration against the decree issued by the Bantu Education in South Africa. The paper address the following: Are protest and social media an effective means for students agitation? What is the nature and focus of the student activism in UKZN? What factors influence students’ involvement in student activism? What are the roles of Student Representative Council (SRC) in agitation for students’ rights at university level? Does student activism benefit the students and the community ? Marc and Kurt’s (2002) triangle of youth participation served as the theoretical framework for the paper.The paper is based on qualitative research method and interviews with the University of Kwazulu-Natal Student Representative Council and students.

Keywords

Youths, Activism, protest, Education, University, Student Representative Council

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May 27th, 2:35 PM May 27th, 3:40 PM

The Power of Student Activism, Protest, Social Media, Hashtag: The Youth Are Talking

Hall II

Youths are harnessing the power of social media, demonstrations and protest as means of activism, platform for channeling their grievances, defending their human right and in their quest for inclusion in decision-making process. With social media as face book, twitter and internet at their disposal, student access almost instantaneously information and debate almost instantly with anyone anywhere in the world. The Internet and social media have changed the way in which young people communicate among themselves and ways they engage in civic life (Menard, 2010). The South African students are not immune to this concept. The world will not forget in a hurry the 2015 fee must fall campaign in South Africa. University students stood against school fees increment and outside sourcing. Historically, student protest in Johannesburg was recorded on June 16, 1976 during the student-protest demonstration against the decree issued by the Bantu Education. With this background, the paper discuss the roles of protest and social media in student’s civic engagement .The paper discuss also the June 16,1976 student-protest demonstration against the decree issued by the Bantu Education in South Africa. The paper address the following: Are protest and social media an effective means for students agitation? What is the nature and focus of the student activism in UKZN? What factors influence students’ involvement in student activism? What are the roles of Student Representative Council (SRC) in agitation for students’ rights at university level? Does student activism benefit the students and the community ? Marc and Kurt’s (2002) triangle of youth participation served as the theoretical framework for the paper.The paper is based on qualitative research method and interviews with the University of Kwazulu-Natal Student Representative Council and students.