London School of Economics
Thai theatre
LSE New Academic Building
London WC2A 2AE
Dr Merlyna Lim (Associate Professor & Canada Research Chair, Carleton University) is going to discuss about social media and politics in Southeast Asia. Social media platforms and mobile devices have increasingly played a critical role in facilitating and mobilising collective actions, activism, and social movements all over the world, including Southeast Asia, for both progressive and regressive causes. Simultaneously, the very same technologies have also been utilised by states and public authorities for their own benefits, including to control public opinions and repress dissents. Moving away from assessing the presumed democratic potentials of social media, Dr. Lim explores the complex and contradictory relationships between social media and politics to help understand how state and society relations, power, and politics are contested and exercised on, with, and through social media. Drawing on diverse case studies from the region, particularly from Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the project offers insights across a broad spectrum of social media based engagements and examines their varied implications on politics, in discourses and practices.
This event is free and open to public but registration is required. Click here to register.
