New Forms of Civic Engagement. Implications of Social Media on Civic Engagement and Organization in Scandinavia

In this chapter, I investigate the implications of web technologies and social media on civic engagement in Scandinavia. First, with reference to relevant theory and previous research, the potential implications of digitalization on collective action on the individual and the organizational level are discussed. To empirically investigate the implications of digitalization in the Scandinavian civil societies, I proceed with an analysis of survey data on traditional and digital volunteering among Scandinavians from the pooled dataset used in this book. Results from the analysis show that pure digital volunteering is a relatively limited phenomenon in Scandinavia, and that there are strong connections between digital and traditional volunteering. Hence, digital volunteering seems to be more of a supplement to traditional organizational volunteering rather than a substitute. Furthermore, although pure digital forms of volunteering to some degree recruit participants from outside the traditional volunteer base, when combined with traditional volunteering, classic social divides regarding who participates are reproduced. In conclusion, I propose further research to track the development of new digital forms of civic engagement, but also to investigate if and how new digital technologies are integrated into existing forms and patterns of civic engagement.