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Protest in the 21st century: Is naked the new balaclava?
The Conversation, Vol.17 February 2014
The Conversation Media Group
2014
Abstract
For those of us who grew up with marches and rallies as the default type (or stereotype) of protest, some of the 21st-century forms – such as The World Naked Bike Ride or Nannas Knitting Against Gas and Greed – raise new questions. Are these new “peaceful” methods of protest replacing rallies and riots? What about e-activism? How are trends changing, and do any of these methods work better to change the world?
Let us first ask: why nude knitting?
Shocking and comforting, intimate and public, it was only a matter of time before the nude knitting protest undertaken by “performer craftivist” Casey Jenkins last year. But in fact nudity and protest have a long history.
Activists pursue two broad goals: to convert decision-makers, the public or third parties to their cause; and to confront political opponents, or the perceived sources of problems, and persuade them to stop doing something.
When more ideologically-compatible governments are in power, activists aim to convert decision-makers: they often use conventional methods to bring issues into the public eye so that favourably-minded governments have an excuse to act.
Details
- Title
- Protest in the 21st century: Is naked the new balaclava?
- Authors/Creators
- W. Louis (Author/Creator)E.F. Thomas (Author/Creator)
- Publication Details
- The Conversation, Vol.17 February 2014
- Publisher
- The Conversation Media Group
- Identifiers
- 991005544335907891
- Copyright
- The Author
- Murdoch Affiliation
- School of Psychology and Exercise Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Other
- Publisher URL
- http://theconversation.com/au
- Resource Sub-type
- Nonrefereed Article
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