Anonymous: a social movement

Knight, William (2018) Anonymous: a social movement. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.

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Abstract

This project seeks to show that the controversial hacktivist phenomenon Anonymous might be most appropriately understood through the lens of Social Movement Theory. Based upon data gathered from four years of observation and interviews among self-identifying members of the Anonymous movement, this project is an exploration of the state of the Anonymous movement as it exists in its current form, and also a look back a the movement since its political birth in 2008.

This project ultimately concludes that there are elements of social movement theories which do indeed apply to Anonymous, but there are areas in which theory might be updated to best understand such a tumultuous and dynamic movement.

Item Type: Thesis (University of Nottingham only) (PhD)
Supervisors: Grundmann, Reiner
MacAuley, Derek
Keywords: Hacking, Anonymous, Social Movements, Critical Theory, Hacktivism, Cybersecurity
Subjects: H Social sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare
Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA 75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Faculties/Schools: UK Campuses > Faculty of Social Sciences, Law and Education > Institute for Science and Society
UK Campuses > Faculty of Science > School of Computer Science
Item ID: 46804
Depositing User: Knight, William
Date Deposited: 19 Jul 2018 04:40
Last Modified: 07 May 2020 18:45
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/46804

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