A VÁLTOZÁS HÁLÓZATAI. SOCIAL NETWORKING, A MILLENNIUMI GENERÁCIÓ ÉS AZ OBAMA-KAMPÁNY
NETWORKS OF CHANGE. SOCIAL NETWORKING, THE MILLENNIAL GENERATION AND THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN

Summary/Abstract: The term network is becoming increasingly popular in the social sciences, which is due, to a large extent, to the advances in network research. In our paper our aim is to explore the current trends of social networking focusing on network logic, political values and technological possibilities, and comparing our theoretical framework with the real-life experiences of the Obama campaign. We will argue that while most of the research focuses on the network as an actor itself, it is the individuals who run the network structure. Web 2.0 sites (such as Facebook, MySpace or Twitter) allow their users to create and share the content of network communication, giving them the power to shape opinions in a much more direct way than mass media is capable of. The Obama team decided for and succeeded in using this new power because of a multitude of reasons: their belief in a new way of politics, external pressures, the unity of person, message and medium, the Bush factor and last but not least the changing political culture shaped by the millennial generation. These factors have enabled Obama to use social networking to leave behind the ’traditional‘ approach to political campaigning and create a true bottom-up social movement. We will conclude by arguing that while social networking was one of the most crucial factors in the Obama campaign, we cannot be certain if this will become the trend. This is mostly because the consistency of the person, media and message, something necessary for such a campaign to succeed, is not the rule, but rather the exception.

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