Pragmatic visionaries: imaginaries, myths and technopolitics in the 15m movement

Abstract

This article examines the imaginaries about the Internet and its influence on the forms of technological appropriation by social movements. It focuses on the concept of myth, digital sublime and cyber-libertarian rhetoric that mystify the emancipatory power of the Internet. Through an empirical work based on 37 interviews, three focus groups and participant observations, the imaginaries and media practices of the 15M are analysed. Our results highlight three hybrid tensions between: faith in the democratizing power of the Internet and political praxis; complementary action in the virtual and physical space; and the simultaneous use of corporate networks and alternative media. It is concluded that utopian myths about the Internet are negotiated with reality in complex ways and inspire political action and technological innovation.