Networks of Outrage and Hope

Book excerpt: Networks of Outrage and Hope is an exploration of the newforms of social movements and protests that are erupting in theworld today, from the Arab uprisings to the indignadas movement inSpain, from the Occupy Wall Street movement to the social protestsin Turkey, Brazil and elsewhere. While these and similar socialmovements differ in many important ways, there is one thing theyshare in common: they are all interwoven inextricably with thecreation of autonomous communication networks supported by theInternet and wireless communication. In this new edition of his timely and important book, ManuelCastells examines the social, cultural and political roots of thesenew social movements, studies their innovative forms ofself-organization, assesses the precise role of technology in thedynamics of the movements, suggests the reasons for the supportthey have found in large segments of society, and probes theircapacity to induce political change by influencing people’sminds. Two new chapters bring the analysis up-to-date and draw outthe implications of these social movements and protests forunderstanding the new forms of social change and politicaldemocracy in the global network society.