The Future of Change: How Technology Shapes Social Revolutions

by Raymond H Brescia

In The Future of Change , Ray Brescia identifies a series of "social innovation moments" in American history. Through these moments―during which social movements have embraced advances in communications technologies―he illuminates the complicated, dangerous, innovative, and exciting relationship between these technologies, social movements, and social change. Brescia shows that, almost without fail, developments in how we communicate shape social movements, just as those movements change the very technologies themselves. From the printing press to the television, social movements have leveraged communications technologies to advance change. In this moment of rapidly evolving communications, it's imperative to assess the role that the Internet, mobile devices, and social media can play in promoting social justice. But first we must look to the past, to examples of movements throughout American history that successfully harnessed communications technology, thus facilitating positive social change. Such movements embraced new communications technologies to help organize their communities; to form grassroots networks in order to facilitate face-to-face interactions; and to promote positive, inclusive messaging that stressed their participants' shared dignity and humanity. Using the past as prologue, The Future of Change provides effective lessons in the use of communications technology so that we can have the best communicative tools at our disposal―both now and in the future.

240 pages, Hardcover

Published April 15, 2020

Reviews

[Clare O'Beara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mainly relating to American civil issues, this book looks at how advances in technology have assisted the rapid changes of the past few generations, from the campaigners for the abolition of slavery to the passing of the GI Bill and today's presidential campaigns. Steam-powered printing presses turned out leaflets and books much more rapidly than hand ones; telegraph and networking assisted groups to disseminate information quickly.

Some well-used examples are given: the tragedy of the commons, the prisoner's dilemma, difference in social status, social capital. We learn about the latter in terms of bonding - amongst a local network - and bridging - between networks. Bridging with the advantages of trade and spread of ideas has been shown to lead to more advances, while bonding may build a trustworthy community but can lead to being insular.

The book is aimed for a university level of reader, and while it is not overly heavy in technical terms, I did find the lengthy paragraphs offputting. The discussion of the postal system is full of paragraphs over 20 lines, and one is 36 lines. Game theory has a paragraph of 33 lines. Breaking these into two chunks would make them more approachable and easier to follow and retain.

The author tells us he spent several years as a lawyer for tenant rights groups in a socially disadvantaged area (34 lines para, 40 lines) but relates generalities, not personal accounts from these days.

New media and new digital networks are of course a large part of the discussion. Included are organising rallies and Egypt's revolutions in real-time chat online; the author says this was much cheaper than telegrams, but nobody has yet explained to me how the world's poorest could afford Blackberries and smartphones when I could not. Most of the content covered is about America, though, with people, groups, Acts and politicians of whom I know little if anything, so I can't presume to judge the impressions given. Undoubtedly, life is speeding up and we see how fast the works of one group inspire another. Confirmation bias and spreading fake news are covered. As is the breach of personal data and trust which led to the passing of data about 87 million Facebook users to Cambridge Analytica (whose leaders boasted to undercover journalists that it could and had influenced elections, not mentioned).

Notes P187 - 201, Bibliography P203 - 218, Index 219 - 224. I counted 13 names which I could be sure were female in the Index. I counted 87 names which I could be sure were female in the Bibliography. As this interesting account is not ideal for the general reader and has no charts, graphs, or pictures in my e-ARC, I'm giving four stars, but university level readers of social theory or communication theory may rate the book five stars.
I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

[Lisa-Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for folks interested in social justice organization. The first half of the book can definitely be a bit dense sometimes with a LOT of information crammed into a few pages, but it's worth it. The latter half goes into real-life examples of organizers and movements who have used the strategies outlined in the book, and reads less like a textbook (reading like a textbook isn't a bad thing here - just different.)

I definitely see how some things I've tried to organize--nothing to the scope of what's outlined in the book--have failed, and have also seen ways to strengthen my own community. Brescia is incredibly passionate about community organization and the ways that it, combined with the legal system, can make the world a better place.