[Air-L] CFM: Symbolic Interaction, Activism, and Social Movement

[Sarina Chen]

On June 14, 2025, the No Kings protests (No Kings) incorporated several
dimensions associated with collective behavior, including the combination
of coordinated activism and the dissemination of information.  Organizers
of No Kings used the networking capacity of social media to coordinate
protests against Donald Trump's policies and actions. More than five
million people participated in protests in about 2,100 cities and towns in
the U.S.  The protests were organized by the coalition of at least 200
progressive groups, utilizing, among other formats, the Internet to
coordinate large-scale and decentralized collective action.

Conceptually, activism consists of efforts to promote changes in social,
political, or economic practices. Those identified as activists set out to
achieve a common good.  Such purposeful, organized, and sustained efforts
over a period of time becomes a social movement. In regard to the
dissemination of information as related to activism, those identifying
themselves as activists have, historically, used various media formats to
identify and promote their causes. Prior to the electronic age, for
instance, activists made use of oral and print media, employing
word-of-mouth, pamphlets, newspapers, and books.  In the post-electronic
age, current activists bolster their cause via use of digital media.

Such use of media enhances the ability of activists to promote civic
engagement and collective action quickly, on a broad scale, and with
efficacy. Basically, social media provide free publicity for activists to
promote their causes with free media accounts and easy entries to activism,
simply by a click of the mouse. In effect, No Kings became a cause celebre
as millions of protesters gathered in various urban and rural pockets of
the country on relatively short notice. The protesters created dynamic,
focused, and shared objectives that, taken together, provided the
foundations of a social movement.


Besides publicity and recruitment, social media also help with sustaining
the momentum of a cause, by constantly providing updates (posts) of one's
group and instructions for connecting with members of a group.  In this
manner, organizers of No Kings set out to entice interested individuals to
participate, immediately, and efficiently, in collective action . The
organizers provided comprehensive directories for interested individuals to
either find a protest near them or to start a protest on-the-spot.
Organizers also utilized the discursive feature of the Internet by
providing easy-to-read guides for would-be protest organizers. The guides
included strategies regarding promotion of a protest, scheduling speakers,
contacting media, and employing security measures, among other useful
information.  The practical guides allowed many to organize a protest,
regardless of their prior experiential involvement in social movements.

Outside of the U.S., interested parties who received information about No
Kings organized protests in their respective countries as well. One of the
key themes that emerged from No Kings pertained to the global outreach of
the Internet. Such an outreach has, historically, created a keen interest
in universal civil engagement, or the promotion of human rights as a
multinational appeal for social justice. For instance, prior to No Kings,
the Black Lives Matter movement (2013) involved international support from
protesters in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Germany, France, Japan,
New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.  Relatedly, No Kings also appeared in
20 countries around the world, including those aforementioned.  In
countries with constitutional monarchies, No Kings was replaced by “No
Dictators,” or “No Tyrants” to avoid confusion.


Given the increased significance of activism and social movement in the
digital age, Vol. 64 of Studies in Symbolic Interaction: A Global Bi-Annual
Book Series, published by Emerald Publishing in Leeds, United Kingdom, is
devoted to the discussion of Symbolic Interaction, Activism, and Social
Movements.  Symbolic Interactionism has offered powerful insights into how
activism and social movements are created and sustained through the
everyday interactions and shared meanings that individuals construct.
Symbolic interactionist studies have provided useful conceptual tools and
fertile research in examining collective action and social organization.
To follow this tradition, symbolic interactionist works that examine the
use of digital technologies in activism and social movement are sought.
Topics to be addressed include, but not limited to,


Construction of activism

Construction of social movements

Activism and solidary relationships

Social movements and charismatic relationships

Activism and universities

Digital activism

Racial justice activism

LGBTQ+ activism

Climate change activism


For all interested, please send an abstract of no more than 750 words to
Shing-Ling Sarina Chen (sarina.chen at uni.edu) by September 1, 2025.


If an abstract is selected for inclusion, the deadline of completing the
manuscript is March 31, 2026.


Thank you very much for your consideration.  Looking forward to hearing
from you.


Shing-Ling Sarina Chen

Studies in Symbolic Interaction