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Mobs, memes and movements: The digital party

14 May 2019, 6:00 pm–9:00 pm

jeremy corbyn

In this inaugural event for the Mobs, Memes and Movements reading group and lecture series, Dr Paolo Gerbaudo discusses new modes of political organisation and how political parties are being reshaped by the digital world.

This event is free.

Event Information

Open to

All

Cost

Free

Organiser

Sociology and Social Theory Research Group

Location

IAS Common Ground
Ground floor, South Wing, UCL
London
WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom

Using a series of case studies including Podemos in Spain, Italy's 5-Star Movement, Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party and the rise of populism, Dr Paolo Gerbaudo discusses how traditional political parties are being restructured by Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Big Data in his recent book, The Digital Party.

Paolo's work describes new modes of political organisation and the distinctive patterns of digital, networked communication and invites us to think about how this will shape the political parties of the future.

This lecture will be followed by a drinks reception. 

Mobs, Memes and Movements series

Mobs, Memes and Movements is a series of reading groups and lectures examining the new social movements of the Trump and Brexit era. From #MeToo and Black Lives Matter, to the 'gillet jaunes' and various forms of populism, the political landscape of the 2010s is evolving rapidly.

How can we, as activists and observers, hope to make sense of these changes? What theoretical tools and empirical strategies do we need? How do these changes unsettle traditional distinctions between parties and movements, left and right, collective and individual action?

This series is organised by the Sociology and Social Theory Research Group.

Reading groups:

Download all reading materials (PDFs in a zip file) 

Links 

Image: 'Jeremy Corbyn campaign in West Kirby' by Andy Miah, Flickr