#OccupyEstelita: the emergence of identity as part of a political performativity in the usage of Facebook Events by Social Movements
Many people who joined the Spanish 15-M, Occupy Wall Street and the Brazilian #OccupyEstelita used to recuse the word activist, arguing that this word could not represent their activities: virtual participation supporting Facebook Events, sharing information about the movement online and inviting virtual friends to be a part of the demonstrations. This project investigates the following question: How is the perception of a political self-identity affected by the usage of Social Networks? The main subject of study will be the usage of Facebook Events by manifestants from the Occupy Estelita movement in Brazil. The project will conduct in-depth interviews and questionnaires with movement’s supporters to understand how they perceive their online activities as part of a social mobilization aimed at physical presence on the street.
Main Research Topics
- Language and Performativity
- Social Movements
- Internet and Democracy
- Identity Studies
Curriculum Vitae
- 2017 Master Studies in Communication at UFPE – Federal University of Pernambuco.
- 2016 Assistant Professor (Internship) at UFPE. Subject: Psychology of Communication.
- 2016 Broadcast Liaison Officer at OBS – Olympic Broadcasting Services in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- 2015 Research Assistant at Federal University of Pernambuco (PIBIC Program). Topic: TV Journalism and Discourse Analysis.
- 2014 Venue Information Assistant at HBS – Host Broadcast Services for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Lectures and Publications
- MELLO, C. (2018) Performativity and Conflicts between the occupation of real and virtual spaces: analyzing the Facebook Events platform. Movement, Space and Alterity, 155-169. UFBA.
- MELLO, C. (2017) Policies of Invisibility on Google Images: The Islam Case. V International Symposium LAVITS (Latin American Network of Surveillance, Technology and Society Studies): “Surveillance, Democracy and Privacy in Latin America: Vulnerabilities and Resistance”. University of Chile, Santiago, 2017.
- MELLO, C. FIGUEIREDO, C. (2016) Like and Share: Biopower and Masculinities’ Construction in Transgender Bodies on Facebook. XIII Regional Conference of Social Communication Science from Brazilian Northeast (Intercom).