Archive 2017

The Fine Line Between the Digital and “Real” World: Social Media and Social Order in Oslo, Norway by Shaan Merchant

by tuftsigl
The Fine Line Between the Digital and “Real” World: Social Media and Social Order in Oslo, Norway by Shaan Merchant Dec 18

In his speech, celebrated Norwegian sociologist Knut Lundby said, “We must be careful not to exaggerate the power of social media in determining social order.” Despite the extreme respect for him in the field, Lundby’s warning was answered by laughter from the crowd: in a conference focused on social media and social order, this is awfully hard to do.

Thanks to the Tufts Undergraduate Research Fund and the Institute for Global Leadership, I was fortunate enough to attend and present research I have been doing with Professor Sarah Sobieraj at the Social Media and Social Order conference in Oslo, Norway. Studded with acclaimed researchers, sociologists, and academics from a range of countries, we heard about projects ranging from the impact of meme collectives in Assam, India to Instagram appropriation in Norway’s Bible Belt; from the threat of Surveillance Capitalism to the empowerment of Palestinian rebels through the use of film and social media publication.

Dec 18

Amnesty International’s ‘Write for Rights’ Campaign by Jared D Cohn

by tuftsigl

The “Write for Rights” campaign is one of Amnesty International’s most important initiatives for lobbying for human rights. Every December, during “Write for Rights”, supporters from across the globe write letters on behalf of people whose human rights are being violated.

Dec 03

Institute Update: EPIIC

by tuftsigl

The 2017-18 EPIIC topic is “Is the Liberal World Order Ending?”  The IGL’s new Director, Abi Williams, sees this theme as at the heart of the Institute for Global Leadership’s (IGL) mission to prepare new generations of critical thinkers and effective ethical global leaders who can comprehend the world’s most challenging global issues.