David Henderson, blogger for Poverty Insights, asked himself and his readers earlier today “Does Blogging Matter in the Social Sector?”
It’s an important question, and one that haunts many a blogger for justice.
A couple days ago I shared and wrote about one of my new favorite blogs, This Gives Me Hope … a blog that almost daily shares stories about how regular people are creating change or asking questions — big and small. Among the many things I said about This Gives Me Hope was:
Usually, [blogs of this nature] cross over into the land of sappy for me, and I turn off. But [your blog] does it right.
I noted that the blog’s:
“voice” is the type of voice I try to use on most of the posts for Speak for We:
- people connect to stories
- there is so much good you can do by deciding to do good
- recognize others for their good deeds
The author, Cathryn Wellner, commented on my post.
When someone “gets” what we’re trying to do, we soar. I’m soaring, Michael, especially after wandering around on your blog and seeing your keen intelligence and gritty eloquence in action. I’m grateful to Julia Dinsmore for introducing us – and to you for taking time to check out my blog and then to write so beautifully about it. Thank you is too small a phrase, but I offer it with deep gratitude.
This cross-gushing for each other’s writing may come off as a bit over the top if you don’t blog. But good blogging is a hard, time-intensive endeavor. And, if you are blogging for justice, you are blogging to create change. And creating change requires building power.
Unfortunately, sometimes blogging for justice feels a lot like “a tree falling in the forest” … you wonder if anyone heard the sound. And, us bloggers don’t just want to have someone hear the sound, and we don’t just want others to ask others, “Hey did you hear that sound?” (Although, that is greatly appreciated.)
We also want people to do something about the sound … okay, can the analogy Michael … we want people to join in a conversation about justice-making and then participate in justice doing.
As I noted to David regarding his “Does Blogging Matter in the Social Sector?” post
Right now, blogging seems more about commiserating and complaining, than building power.
I as a justice blogger want to change that. I think David and Cathryn do to.
Hint. Hint. If it’s not already obvious … I am curious what others think. Does blogging matter? Do you think it plays a role in creating change?
A great conversation is playing out on David’s Poverty Insights post … not just because I am participating in it. I’d encourage readers to take a look.
I’d like to repost my contributions here:
RESPONSE 1:
David:
This post troubles me … or perhaps I should use organizing lingo to say it “agitates” me.
I too have spent years working to advance sound policies to reduce poverty. I too blog for justice. And, I too fear that this blogging can serve as a “gossip rag for poverty-geeks.”
Unlike you, I am no longer confident in the power of data. Sure, within our field it can change how we help people with needs. But I think the number of people with needs changes because of the changes in power within our society. And power-builing, I think, is more about feelings than facts. (Mind you, I think it’s best to have good data to back up your feelings … but again, long-term power gets built because people personally identify with your cause.)
That said, I think I started blogging for similar reasons. … I think it is a great forum to advance solutions.
Here’s the peanut butter and chocolate … the two great ideas that go great together. Good data needs power behind it. Blogging is a tool that can build power behind an idea. To build power we need not only to “share”; we need to communicate … we need to encourage more back and forth within our community on blogs and other social media.
Right now, the blogosphere, it seems to me, is more a place to commiserate, complain, and attack than to sustain conversations and build new communities. We can change that … or be a part in changing that. But we need to find a way to so.
Believe me. I’ll be blogging on my blog, Speak for We, about your post and my hunches.
Thanks for being part of my RSS feed.
Michael
RESPONSE 2:
David:
Of course, blogging can accomplish many things. It can educate. It can point fingers when fingers need pointing. And, it can be a place to commiserate. Nothing is wrong with any of that. And, I should note, Poverty Insights does a great job accomplishing many things.
I guess the barrier I am try to hurdle is how to use social media and blogging to Demonstrate Power. It certainly provides a ripe forum to do so. It is so easy for people of like concerns to meet, share stories and tactics, plan, etc.
Of course, the problem with social justice blogging is the problem with social justice work generally: the need to build a critical mass of actors and then get them to act.
That’s why your post “agitated” me. While you want to figure out if blogging matters … which it does … I kind of see that question as asking “Does social justice work matter?” … which, of course, it does.
What needs figuring out isn’t if it matters, but how to get it to matter to more people and to figure out how its contribution to the conversation about justice involves more people in the struggle for justice.
And, that brings me to my question: How do we use blogging to Demonstrate Power? This year, social media has played a huge role in movements (e.g. Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street). But I feel that that contribution is more about how people feel and share “real time.” Blogs can certainly play a role in “real time.” But they offer something more. They offer a place to record and build a conversation. They offer a place to compile data (there I said it). They offer a place to test tactics and report on them.
This mix between reporting “real time”, recording and hosting conversations, the possibility for rallying actions, and then report on how effective they are (or are not) is where I see the potential power of blogs.
Thanks for getting me thinking.
Michael
You and David sent my mind spinning. It isn’t only with blogging that we ask ourselves the question, “Does my work matter?” From that comes the larger question, “Does my life matter?”
During my years in community development, I asked myself the question on a daily basis. Sometimes I learned toward David’s angst, asking myself if making a living based on others’ hardships was even ethical. I think it’s important to continue asking those questions unless we actually reach the goal we seek – where inequality, poverty, repression, greed and intolerance are gone.
In the meantime, in my time, I have answered the blogging question with a resounding “yes”, but I can only answer the question for myself. You both set my mental wheels spinning so I’ve started the year addressing the question on another of my blogs, Catching Courage. An answer longer than “Yes” is here: http://catchingcourage.com/2012/01/01/why-blogging-matters-to-me/.
Thanks, Michael, for posing a question that made me really ponder.
Thanks for the comment and the thoughtful response on Catching Courage (http://catchingcourage.com/2012/01/01/why-blogging-matters-to-me/). Got me thinking. Yay!
This is a good question: does blogging create change? I think when, and only when it is paired with action, does blogging create and inspire change. Like new thinking. Taking new risks. Exploring a subject and applying that new information into one’s day to day.
Even if you, the blogger, are the only one that’s changing from it, I believe that’s the point.
-Adjoa
inspireyourenvironment.com
Thanks Adjoa:
I agree that change only happens through action. I am definitely interested in how blogging can inspire people to act and then report back to those who’ve done so regarding what impact they’ve made collectively. I am trying to devise ways bloggers and others active on social media can describe how to amass power and demonstrate it.
Thanks for the comment. And, I like what I see on inspireyourenvironment.com
Michael
I find that if I go beyond complaining and share the messages of positivity, that impacts and encourages people to spread the message of what I share. If I stay pessimistic and complain to much, people don’t share. It’s important to stay positive and give people options to solve problems that are there. It’s best to do something about it, instead of just complain and blame without providing answers.
I agree, Jacob. And thanks for posting.
While I do my share of complaining, because social justice politics is partially about calling out what’s wrong. I also do my best to share solutions. People seem to respond as well.
What troubles me is that so much of the blogosphere in the political world is about taking sides (i.e. taking sides against something or someone). Therefore, we close off many potential followers who are not ardently taking sides yet.
You mentioned in another comment (on the Butterfly Effect) that you’ve written posts regarding Minnesotans United for All Families. They are a stellar example of not trying to create dividing lines.
Again thanks. And I’ll take a look at Good As Gay.
Michael