Working from a global comparative angle, in this talk Dr. Kai Heidemann takes a sociological look at how the rise of digital media ecologies and the establishment of a so-called ‘digital era’ has impacted the mobilization of trust in social movements. Focusing on the dual dynamics of trust and mistrust, his discussion considers the positive and negative impacts of the digital era on progressive justice-oriented social movements as well as reactionary counter-movements.
Dr. Kai Heidemann is Assistant Professor of Sociology at University College Maastricht in the Netherlands. Much of his research explores how grassroots social movements influence educational systems as well as how social movements develop their own educational practices and resources. He has explored these themes in Argentina, Belgium, France, Spain, the Netherlands and the United States. Dr. Heidemann's research has been published in numerous academic books and journals, such as Mobilization, Comparative Sociology, Sociological Focus and the European Journal of Cultural and Political Sociology.
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