Chapter 10: Joining the Conversation: Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, and You
Finding Our Scholarly Conversation Partners: Primary and Secondary Sources
Let’s have a look at the three-storey thesis we developed in Chapter 9 so that we can identify the larger discussion we are having:
Example
Occupy Wall Street’s Facebook group page showcases some flaws as users of the space have a difficult time breaking away from their own “villages” in order to link those global events to their local concerns. This is demonstrated by the comment field under the post “From #Ferguson to #Gaza #BLM,” wherein discussion of the event turns to users calling each other names like “idiots” and wondering aloud about the two topics are related (ex. The post “What the hell does BLM have to do with geopolitics in the Middle East?”) rather than discussing the event promoted. Such interaction in this space demonstrates that while Facebook groups do provide a useful tool for distributing information and bringing large tribes together, that users often struggle to attach that awareness to action or viewpoints beyond local/personal concerns or interests; instead of users speaking to each other in an attempt to foster stronger global connections and consciousness, users often end up posting their own disconnected content and/or insulting content without the necessary conversation around the complex topics posted The Occupy Wall Street Facebook page’s tendency to strengthen local connections while weakening links to larger social and political contexts acts as an indicator that despite the increased reach of an online community, insularity among its users is likely to affect its ability to influence governmental policy and provide a base for civilian power. Users who wish to turn the Internet into an effective tool designed to provide a counterpoint to corrupt, dictatorial, or simply misguided governments will need to address this insularity and attempt to ensure that the broad reach of the social-media platform does not replace the broadness in scope of the movement itself.
We have done well here to narrow our focus to a manageable primary example. “Facebook” would be much too wide a focus, and even “Occupy Wall Street’s Facebook page” could get a little unwieldy. The primary source we are selecting for closer examination is a specific post on Occupy Wall Street’s Facebook page—“From #Ferguson to #Gaza #BLM”—and the subsequent dialogue it sparked.
Now we need to review the evidence we gleaned from this primary example and decide which pieces we think would best benefit our analysis. In particular, we want to use those examples that really inspire and support the claim of our second storey: “Such interaction in this space demonstrates that while Facebook groups do provide a useful tool for distributing information and bringing large tribes together, users often struggle to attach that awareness to action or viewpoints beyond local/personal concerns or interests; instead of users speaking to each other in an attempt to foster stronger global connections and consciousness, users often end up posting their own disconnected content without the necessary conversation around the complex topics posted.”