Current Institutional Affiliation
Part time lecturer, SHRD, Department of Communication Studies, Moi University

Award Information

Next Generation Social Sciences in Africa: Doctoral Dissertation Proposal Fellowship 2016
Institutional Affiliation (at time of award):
SHRD, Department of Communication Studies, University of the Witwatersrand
THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN PROTEST BEHAVIOUR AND ACTIVISM: A STUDY OF BLOGGERS IN KENYA

This study is about the role of social media in protest behaviour and activism. There is increased social media protest/activism in Kenya which most often leads to street protests. Citizens have found social media as a new sphere where they can protest against or sometimes in support of government decisions. There is a thin body of literature and research on the relationship between virtual and street protests in influencing policies in Kenya, new strategies of activism and its future. It is thus important to join and contribute to literature on these issues. I intend to explore the role of online activism in influencing policies in Kenya, how social media is being used to revolutionize conventional activism in Kenya and what increased use of social media mean for the future of activism in Kenya. This research will use qualitative research design in sampling, collection and analyzing data.

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