Grasp this: An educational and corporate-like Facebook-movement

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to explore engagement and organization in contemporary civil society by analyzing how a social media campaign, Fatta, develops into a movement and an association. Fatta (roughly: Grasp this) works for the establishment of Swedish legislation regarding sexual consent and can be seen as part of a global movement against men’s violence towards women. The study, guided by ethnographic and netnographic design, followed the association for six months on social media and at physical meetings. Results show identity, representation, advocacy and lobbyism to be central themes. Results also indicate that the association can be seen as a form of socially committed advertising business where branding is central. Fatta constitutes an example of a movement functioning in a context where citizenship is no longer based on responsibilities and participation in political parties but is instead centered around aspects of identity formation and self-realization.