In contemporary world, the boundaries between physical and digital space are increasingly blurred. Along with this phenomenon, new questions are being asked about the ways in which resistance is expressed and organised. This research project combines geographies of resistance with digital geographies to understand how space – both physical and digital – influences forms of resistance and how it itself changes under their influence.
Research questions
In carrying out the project, we seek answers to the following questions:
- How does resistance expressed in digital space influence the production of space in the physical world?
- What functions does material space play in actions of resistance that make use of digital tools and technologies?
- How do the mechanisms of digital mediation of resistance and its spatialities work?
- What factors determine the balance between material and digital aspects of resistance?
- How do cultural differences shape the spatial characteristics of resistance expressed through digital tools?
Planned activities
The research will be carried out in Poland and the UK, allowing for a comparison of different cultural conditions. Cases of resistance in cities such as Warsaw, Poznan, London and Newcastle will be analysed, as well as in digital spaces such as social media and virtual worlds of computer games.
The project will use the following research methods:
- Crowdmapping – participants will have the opportunity to map resistance events using a dedicated platform. This tool allows the collection of information about the locations, nature and context of protests. Users will be able to add their own descriptions, photos and opinions, enabling analysis of spatial and social patterns of resistance.
- Surveys and interviews – surveys will be conducted among residents of selected cities and users of digital spaces. The aim will be to understand their perceptions of the relationship between space and resistance. In addition, the in-depth interviews conducted will provide information about the motivations and experiences of participants in resistance movements.
- Visual analyses – the material collected, such as photographs and footage of protest sites, will be subjected to detailed visual analysis. The research will include both material spaces of resistance and digital artefacts such as maps or visual elements used in computer games.
- Netnography – the analysis of content published in online communities and virtual spaces will explore the behaviours and mechanisms of organising resistance in digital spaces. Particular attention will be paid to social media platforms and online games, where new forms of resistance can emerge.
Why is this project important?
Resistance is an intrinsic part of social life, and in the digital age its forms are transforming. Protest intersects between material and digital spaces, which opens up new research possibilities. This project aims to better understand these phenomena and identify how technology shapes contemporary forms of resistance and their impact on the spaces we live in.
Research carried out in Poland and the UK will capture the cultural differences that influence practices of resistance. The results can be applied not only to science, but also to the work of community organisations and policy decision-making, showing how to effectively respond to the changes and challenges of resistance in the digital age.
Funding
The project ‘Geography of resistance: Entangled spatialities of contestation’ is funded by the National Science Centre, under grant number 2023/51/D/HS4/00190.