Advocacy, Activism, and the Internet: Community Organization and Social Policy

by Steven Hick (Editor), John McNutt (Editor)

This groundbreaking new book illustrates how the internet and other electronic resources are currently affecting social work practice. Rapidly emerging technologies have facilitated economic globalization and created a host of new issues for social workers to address. At the same time these technologies have become key tools for social activism and advocacy. Practitioners must understand the changes in social policy advocacy and community activism that these technological advances bring and learn to formulate new skills to utilize them to their advantage. Advocacy, Activism, and the Internet discusses the use of the internet as a tool for instigating social change at the local, state, national, and international levels. The authors show how technology affects social work practice directly through new methods and indirectly by affecting the communities that practitioners serve. It provides channels for e-advocacy as well as a thorough exploration of the major theoretical,
practice, and research perspectives that inform electronic activism. This book solidly integrates new on-line advocacy skills with traditional methods and unites research on internet communities with macro social work theory.

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Steven Hick is a mindfulness and meditation teacher with a lifelong commitment to inner transformation and compassionate action. A former professor of social work and a trainer of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teachers, he brings over 40 years of contemplative practice and more than two decades of teaching experience to his work. His approach is grounded, accessible, and infused with both wisdom and warmth.

Steven’s path into meditation began in his twenties, during a period of struggle with anxiety, autism, and dyslexia. These early challenges shaped his understanding of suffering and the healing power of awareness. Since then, he has taught mindfulness to a wide range of communities—including combat veterans, people experiencing homelessness, and First Nations communities—while honoring cultural and spiritual diversity.

He is the founder of the Ottawa Insight Meditation Community and MBSR Ottawa, and the author of several books on social work and mindfulness in professional practice. He also shares teachings through his YouTube channel and Substack newsletter.

Steven currently divides his time between Ottawa, Sackville (NB), and Calgary, where he enjoys being a father and grandfather. His teachings invite us to meet life as it is—with clarity, compassion, and presence.