Pluto Press The Rise of Nerd Politics: Digital Activism and Political Change (Anthropology, Culture and Society)

The recent irruption of WikiLeaks, Anonymous, Snowden and other tech-savvy actors onto the global political stage raises urgent questions about the impact of digital activism on political systems around the world. The Rise of Nerd Politics is an anthropological exploration of the role that such actors play in sparking new processes of political change in the digital age. Drawing from long-term ethnographic research in Spain, Indonesia and Malaysia - as well as empirical examples from the United States, Iceland, Taiwan and further afield - Postill tracks the rise of technology 'nerds' as a new transnational class of political brokers with growing influence. The book identifies and explores four domains of 'nerd politics' that have experienced a dramatic expansion since 2010: digital rights, data activism, social protest and institutional politics. A lively and engaging intervention at the conjuncture of anthropology, media studies and sociology, The Rise of Nerd Politics offers a pertinent reflection on the future of political change in the digital age. Review 'A fascinating and enlightening read, showing how real political change can be affected through digital means' - Paul Mason 'Do you hate Silicon Valley techno-solutionism and its anti-collective libertarian politics? Then you need a nerd-cleanse! John Postill's book reveals the real, global, rise of a 'nerd politics' that is so much richer, more diverse, and much more interesting than you suspected!' " - Christopher M. Kelty, University of California, Los Angeles About the Author John Postill is Senior Lecturer in Communication at RMIT University, Melbourne. He is the author of The Rise of Nerd Politics (Pluto, 2018), Media and Nation Building: How the Iban Became Malaysian (Berghahn Books, 2008), and Localising the Internet: An Anthropological Account (Berghahn Books, 2011).