Because of the far reach
of participatory culture, Henry explains that “these communities encourage
conversations about social and political change” (152). His focus on “the civic
imagination” involves youth and all members of online communities’ ability and
responsibility to make change happen. Henry remembers how Star Trek in the 1960’s,
and his fandom associates, served to transform him politically. Sharing with us
his highly segregated childhood, it is understandable how television offered
such exciting and multicultural benefits. Later, he relays his grad school
mentor’s writings about teen girls and Madonna, illustrating the early signs of
third-wave feminism. As Henry’s involvement with fandom increased, he observed
people applying skills from their hobby to political activities AND witnessed
Madonna fans evolve into feminists asserting authority through their everyday
lives. Because Henry’s background is in political science, these must have been
immensely exciting observations and connections.
His MAPP team is very
focused on both locating and supporting the many
change movements involving youth in today’s society. I applaud these efforts,
as my political orientation is limited (but quite liberal) and several of the
movements started online by youths are impressive. The Dreamer movement is one
that stands out in particular, and their utilization of technology—especially when
so many of them had no digital
access in their homes. That shows extreme determination; working on school
equipment and public libraries means you only have access when those computers
are available. The ownership displayed by their actions as they organized the
platform, kept their goals in sight despite great resistance, and were not
afraid to use their voice, serves as an important model for others to follow.
Henry is right about student governments being limited; they are not really a “stepping
stone” because the students voice is not really heard. Youths who take
leadership seriously should try running a fan convention or step up on a
political issue of concern as these actions and activities have weight,
responsibilities, and repercussions to be considered. This forces them to think
outside of their personal space and become civic-minded individuals. The point
danah makes is essential: “In most…gaming environments participants must learn
how to negotiate productivity with people, including strangers” (164). This
represents a fantastic growth opportunity for our youth and the chance to grasp
the tools and skills needed to become a civic-minded person.
I was fascinated by the
Harry Potter Alliance (HPA)—this is such an awe-inspiring form of activism.
Andrew Slack, its founder, cleverly crafted an amazing model and integrated fandom
and activism into its core. I had no idea, or perhaps never gave it the thought
it deserved, of how powerful a force fandom has been through history. Henry’s
review was quite an eye-opener. Star Trek was a staple in our home back when I
was a wee one, and never did we know it was almost cancelled (I personally was a
Lost in Space fan, but eventually grew into Star Trek…).The power of fan
communities like HPA is greatly intensified by their media skills and the use
of social networks to bind them together globally. Mimi again reminds us that
in the gaming world, this type of connectivity is the norm which makes sense as
they use those platforms to test their skills against other gamers across the
globe. I couldn’t agree more with danah’s “three key pillars” for youth
empowerment; safety, skills, and opportunities. These simple but necessary guidelines
set the scene for activism to occur, but safely
Henry’s mention of the
Harry Potter rides and the “size” issue was a source of concern but he is right
to suggest that fans do their thing. If they would exert pressure on Universal
Studios to make the changes needed in order to accommodate fans of various
sizes and shapes, the outcome would benefit everyone involved. Skills acquired
through fandom status could eventually change the world if properly directed!
Finding out that Superman
is an illegal alien was not exactly news, but I prefer to think of him as a
proud immigrant who just happens to be “a strange being from another planet…”
Just remember he now fights for global justice because we are a global world
(but he is still faster than a speeding bullet…).
The Kony 2012 campaign
was quite a success—but one the people behind it were not prepared to handle.
That sadly included the youths who passed it along to promote its message
without really having a grasp of its information. The safety step was not
considered here. The “It Gets Better” campaign danah speaks of had an even more
serious backlash. Its creators may have meant well but LGBTQ youths posting
videos online placed themselves at the mercy of mainstream society—and teen
peers can be the most merciless. The necessity
of the safety factor being first on the list, as danah implicitly states, is blatantly
visible here, when teen suicides are the result. A safe space has to be
implemented before putting anything up for public scrutiny. Anonymous via 4Chan
is a group with muscle and it takes on some weighty issues. I believe these are
wonderful strides and there are adults as well as youths in these forums, but safety should always be regarded as
the first step Young people will not embrace politics, but rebellion has been a
teen turn-on for centuries. Using safe measures to move youths towards cultural
change is a step towards political action, and a dynamic of greater appeal.
Chapter 7 “Reimagining
Participatory Culture” reviews all the key elements discussed within this text.
They state “Participatory culture is by its very nature a work in progress”
(180). Their attraction to this ever-changing concept began through fandom
(Henry), geek culture (Mimi), and various subcultural identities (danah),
coupled with the fact they all wanted to promote greater educational
opportunities through the use of media. The always changing state of the
phenomenon known as participatory culture is what keeps it alive and continually
challenges its participants to create new opportunities. The authors agree it
has no particular political orientation, is both descriptive and aspirational,
and is always about people---technology is the tool used to reach them. Capitalism
exists as corporations want their hand in anything if there is money to be made.
Our scholars do reassure us that many aspects of participatory culture are “quite
resistant to capitalism” (185). Most important it is “an evolving concept, that
always gets read in relation to existing practices and norms” (186). The
conversations in this book were both informative and impassioned as these
scholars discussed projects so close to their hearts. These concepts and
platforms are inspirational and hold great promise for our youth as well as the
rest of us online nerds. Hopefully these conversations will be the starting
point for even more participation and greater results.
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