Social media use and collective identity within the Occupy Movement

Abstract

Spurred by the actions in Arab Spring and calls for action in reaction to the housing crisis, the Occupy Movement started in the United States and spread globally, addressing a widening range of perceived institutional injustices. Members of the movement used social media to organize and connect with each other and sparked discussion about social media's role in this potentially new era of social movements. This mixed-method study explores Occupiers' sense of collective identity with the movement and the effect of social media use on their identity as well as the state of the Occupy Movement years after its genesis.