Title: The unibrennt movement: a successful case of mobilising lurkers in a public sphere

Authors: Noella Edelmann, Peter Parycek, Judith Schossbock

Addresses: Center for E-Government, Danube University Krems, Dr. Karl-Dorrek Strasse 30, 3500 Krems, Austria. ' Center for E-Government, Danube University Krems, Dr. Karl-Dorrek Strasse 30, 3500 Krems, Austria. ' Center for E-Government, Danube University Krems, Dr. Karl-Dorrek Strasse 30, 3500 Krems, Austria

Abstract: With the student protest movement |unibrennt| in 2009, Austria saw a new quality of online mobilisation. Beginning with the sit-in of the auditorium, the initiative provoked an extensive media echo in Austria and other European cities. In this paper we examine the preconditions of unibrennt, such as the political culture and individual motivation. We analyse factors of successful mobilisation and empowerment in the case study of unibrennt with reference to communication studies, political theory and psychology. In particular, we draw on recent research on the lurker as a user type and relate it to the bottom-up movement and its characteristics.

Keywords: e-participation; e-democracy; lurkers; online mobilisation; public sphere; civic engagement; digital natives; student protests; unibrennt; online movement; case study; Austria; political culture; individual motivation; electronic participation; online participation; electronic democracy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEG.2011.041707

International Journal of Electronic Governance, 2011 Vol.4 No.1/2, pp.43 - 68

Received: 15 Oct 2010
Accepted: 15 May 2011
Published online: 30 Jul 2011 *

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