Browning publishes study identifying the role of passion, emotions in BLM digital sphere
Associate professor Nicholas Browning published an article, “Role of Passion and Emotions in Social Movements: BLM Activists’ Niche That Scaled Up The Movement in the Digital Sphere,” in the Howard Journal of Communications on July 9.
Co-authored with assistant professor Sadia Cheema of Seton Hall University, the study looks at how different types of passion influence activism in the Black Lives Matter movement. A survey was administered to 100 U.S. participants to assess their involvement in the BLM cause, identity, and commitment as an activist, passions, and emotions.
It found that activists who are passionate in a healthy, balanced way (called “harmonious passion”) are more active online and help prove that social media activism can be meaningful, not just superficial (called “slacktivism”). These activists are driven by positive emotions and use digital platforms to grow the movement and promote a hopeful, cooperative vision for change.