Public domain illustration from 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article ‘Bugle’
In what will be my last post, I’d like to bring together all the discussions we’ve had over the last few weeks as we pondered the world of not-for-profits (NFPs), their use of social media and whether that use has had a positive impact on marginalised people.
NFPs, social media and political economy
In thinking about NFP use of social media from the perspective of the political economy, together we sifted through issues of inclusion and considered whether ‘marginaliens’ were more able to participate and have the same rights as those at ‘the centre’ of society. We looked at whether the seemingly-constant focus on touting for money by NFPs was warranted, and at examples of social media’s ability to truly democratise fundraising, but also to perpetuate corporate control of how it was spent. We touched on building community as critical to engagement for NFPs, and the importance of feeding back success stories to donors. And we toured the digital divide, the battle against which appears to be gradually being won with ‘leap-frog technologies’ like mobile phones (Macnamara 2010).
In the trenches
Finally, albeit that the issues raised by political economy theorists remind us we must remain vigilant about the potential pitfalls of social media use, as I found when researching for my Walking the talk post, the NFP social media horse has well-and-truly bolted. NFPs are being urged to expand their social media presence to raise awareness, raise money and build community.
But is it building a more egalitarian society?
After all your thinking about people on the margins, do you think social media can make a more egalitarian society by improving the lives of disadvantaged people?
Update 14 October 2012: Poll Results
Poll results just in indicate 60 per cent of people think social media do improve the lives of disadvantaged people, while 40 per cent are undecided. No-one thinks social media is unhelpful to disadvantaged people. I choose to see that as promising.
themarginalien 
October 10, 2012 at 1:12 pm
Hi Maree,
I am going to miss our online conversations ! Thanks for all the great post and for make me think outside the box and show me new perspectives.
I did vote Yes in your survey as I believe that social media does not create equality or improve lives of disadvantaged people; it only gives tools to people and NFPs to promote egalitarian values in society.
I agree with you NFPs are not doing enough to expand their social media presence to create a more egalitarian society and improving lives of disadvantaged people.
I found two articles one at international level which demonstrate our conclusion. At international level,”Engaging stakeholders through social networking: How non profit organizations are using Facebook” concludes that nonprofits need to do more to enhance their information dissemination and involvement strategies. Please find the link below. At national level the research “The State of Social Media Use in Australian Non Profits” also indicates that non profit organisations has plenty room for growth in social media, please find link and picture below.
You see Maree we are not alone !
I also upload the picture with the conclusion if you want to use it for your presentation 🙂
Here is the picture: http://i.imgur.com/UuhPX.png
References:
http://www.wirthconsulting.com.au/consulting/the-state-of-social-media-use-in-australian-non-profits
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0363811109000046
October 10, 2012 at 4:18 pm
Thanks Consuelo – I’ve got that picture on my blog already – again, great minds think alike! And thanks for the other references. I have a feeling I may have read the one about Facebook and non-profits too, but with the deluge of information out there I can’t recall the detail.
I too will miss our online discussions and I thank you so much for your contributions over the last several weeks. We’ve all been busy!
October 10, 2012 at 8:04 pm
Hi Maree. It’s been lovely taking this journey with you. My new mantras are ‘social media is a tool, not a solution’ and ‘it’s complicated’. So I’m going to sit on the fence. I think we need to be careful of hailing anything as a magic bullet (though I know that’s not what you’re suggesting). I think the jury might still be out. And possibly ‘the disadvantaged’ might be too broad a category – since we’ve been talking about fragmenting of audiences and publics online.
It seems that people from western societies who have been marginalised by their sexuality, gender, experience of abuse or violence – social media may provide a way of creating a safe community. For the refugees, the homeless – I’m not so sure. Not sure if you’ve seen this UTS report on refugees’ use of communications technologies. http://www.shopfront.uts.edu.au/news/images/Refugees_and_Communication_Technology.pdf
But then, having said that, one thing that did surprise me over the course of my travels on the internet, was a survey that suggested that homeless people in the US were using Facebook as a way of building a community, and valued a place where they weren’t judged because of their physical appearance or homelessness. I think I posted the link before but just in case:
http://phys.org/news/2012-08-homeless-people-equality-social-networking.html
October 11, 2012 at 10:10 pm
I’ve found some comfortable fences during the last few weeks too, because, let’s face it, it’s really, really complicated! And yes you did post that story about homeless people building community – thanks.
I remain optimistic, and think that, with allusions to your “social media are tools” mantra, generally we will find that the same array of good, bad and ugly that we see in all forms of media, albeit at times more amplified as more people have the capacity to produce and distribute content (Media as Practice 101). The last few weeks’ media storms are a testament to that in our own back yard.
Thank you for building the collective wisdom around this topic.
October 14, 2012 at 8:05 pm
Hi Maree, what a thought-provoking post! I came across this article when doing some quick Google-research for a little context, which I thought was quite interesting: http://www.probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2012/08/homeless-find-%E2%80%98equality%E2%80%99-social-media#. While not quite ‘improving’ lives for the disadvantaged, I’d agree with Consuelo that it provides a tool to bridge the gap somewhat, and in an age of trolling and cyber-bullying, it’s nice to see that some people still view the internet as a judgement-free zone to connect with their families, friends and the rest of world.
October 14, 2012 at 10:09 pm
Hi Tabitha and nice to see you popping in on a Sunday . . .
That Probono Australia site has a lot of relevant info on it and this one is just one more article pointing out the positive aspects of social media in marginalised communities. One I talked about on an earlier post on Walking the Talk was about Gen Y and their engagement with NFPs, which was also heartening.
At this stage, my poll has no-one saying social media does not help, with 60% agreeing it does and the other 40% undecided, so I take that as most people saying they’re with you, and, incidentally, with me! I think those who do good with social media will win out in the end.
October 16, 2012 at 6:12 pm
Hi Maree. Thanks for an insightful and really intersting forum for debate. I found this particularly interesting as I work for a NFP and most of my comments definately came through that lense. I do see social media as a great way forward for many NFPs – I just think we have to know what to do with it. This involves investing time and money – unfortunately something that is limited for most of us, but it has definately put it at the forefront of my agenda. Thanks Maree!
October 16, 2012 at 10:04 pm
Thank you so much Sarah, and for dropping in so often. I found your comments insightful and helpful and I felt encouraged to continue with my explorations. I’m glad you got something from it and hope it helps you in your work as an NFP communicator.
One last possibly useful post for you – 5 Social Media Strategies for Non-Profits
October 16, 2012 at 10:20 pm
Hi Maree, I love the meaning behind the margin alien…. it’s often how i feel when online… like I don’t quite belong… and constantly looking for the boundaries.
While some people will have greater abilities to participate in emerging online culture than others, I do believe social media is helping to reduce the barriers and providing more opportunity for marginalised groups and individuals to benefit from interaction through social media. While the digital divide is still evident in some areas and cases, I believe it is shrinking and those who are disadvantaged now have more opportunity to participate and can most definitely benefit from engaging and building online communities. The positive outcomes that are possible through social media are endless, and lets hope the gap continues to diminish to form a more equal playing field for all and boost the true purpose of NFPs.
Regards
Anna
October 16, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Thanks Anna – I agree with you wholeheartedly and see examples of it every day.
However it seems NFPs still need help with how best to use social media, even though they see its huge potential – 57 percent said they need help with social media marketing, and especially to realise the long-term benefits of sharing “real-time first-person stories and images from charitable recipients, volunteers, and donors, and get a dialog started among all constituents” as a “compelling way to build an engaged community” – see the Constant Contact Nonprofit Pulse Survey here.
Good luck and see you tomorrow night!