Malcolm Gladwell's Small Change: The Civil Rights Movement

Political activism involves much more than showing up on election day and submitting a ballot. Citizens who only show up to vote fail to use their democratic rights to the full extent. In the United States, citizens are protected by the First Amendment which includes the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to peacefully assemble, and the ability to petition the government for grievances. Throughout the history of the United States, political activists have used these basic rights to accomplish monumental changes. For example, the 1960s Civil Rights Movement emphasized acts of non-violent protest and civil disobedience to force government officials into dialogue with political activists. In Malcolm Gladwell’s, “Small Change: Why the

Face-to-face contact was the most important aspect to building a strong grassroots following for The Civil Rights Movement. Nowadays, political activism manifests itself online and, if lucky, is addressed by politicians. Turkle mentions, “Technology makes it easy to communicate when we wish and to disengage at will” (274). Turkle references motivation and how people are uncommitted to communications with others. Being able to disengage at will allows people to do whatever they want. The nature of the network, which does not feature one unquestioned leader, allows everyone to look out for their own cause rather than a collective cause. On the other hand, hierarchical structures offer strategy and discipline, which are not present in networks. Gladwell references left-wing terrorists in Germany from the nineteen-seventies and says, ”They were concentrated geographically in universities, where they could establish central leadership, trust, and camaraderie through regular, face-to-face meetings” (140). The terrorist group was unified and successful because of their face-to-face