Alumni
Department of Sociology

Graduated with PhD 2011

I am a doctoral student in the Department of Sociology. My dissertation research will examine MoveOn.org, a progressive social movement organization that is primarily web-based or “virtual.” Using multiple methods, I hope to analyze: a) how active members of MoveOn construct self-identities in relation to their activism; b) if these members have a sense of collective identity associated with being part of MoveOn; c) how MoveOn uses rhetorical language in e-mail messages to members in order to facilitate collective identity formation and mobilize activists; and d) whether MoveOn’s combination of online activism and “real world” grassroots participation constitutes a new form of political activism.