David Silver

Silver Application

Biography
David Silver is an assistant professor of communication at the University of Washington. His research interests revolve primarily around the intersections between digital media and contemporary cultures, with a focus on social movements of resistance. Since 1996, he has been building the Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies, an online, free, and not-for-profit organization whose purpose is to research, study, teach, support, and create diverse and dynamic elements of cyberculture. Together with Sarah Washburn, he co-directs The September Project, a coordinated civic participation project that encourages all people to gather in public spaces like local libraries on September 11 to discuss issues that matter. In its inaugural year, 487 communities in all 50 states and 10 countries hosted events devoted to democracy, citizenship, and patriotism.

Position Paper
As many social commentators have noted, many scholars have documented, and many citizens have witnessed first hand, civic engagement and participation has declined dramatically in the United States. As Robert Putnam notes in Bowling Alone, in the last twenty years, participation in activities that foster social capital has decreased as much as 42%: Americans are joining less, trusting less, giving less, and voting less. For Putnam, the challenge is clear: “Leaders and activists in every sphere of American life must seek innovative ways to respond to the eroding effectiveness of the civic institutions and practices that we inherited.”

Perhaps what we need most is public and engaged dialogue. Whether it is face to face or mediated, or both, it must be sustained. Only with sustained and collective dialogue can we understand our communities and the problems and possibilities they offer. Only with sustained and collective dialogue can we make informed local, national, and global decisions.

What would happen if community dialogues occurred across the land? What if they were free and public, thereby encouraging diverse voices and perspectives? What if they were organized by hosts accustomed to collaborating with a spectrum of civic and cultural organizations? And what would happen if these community dialogues all took place on the same day, September 11?

We know it can happen because it already has. On September 11, 2004, The September Project’s inaugural effort resulted in 487 communities in 50 states and 9 countries hosting civic events. Most of the events took place in public libraries; some occurred in schools, universities, community centers, parks, jails, and military bases. All of the events related to a single theme: Democracy, Citizenship, and Patriotism. The events included talks, debates, and discussions; exhibitions and installations; dance, musical, and theatrical performances; interfaith dialogues and activities; communally written documents presented to city boards; youth and teen readings and writings; and voter information and voter registration.

My presentation discusses the use of various means of social software to enable large scale collective action. By social software I refer not only to digital media like email, listservs, blogs, and web pages, but also writing technologies such as flyers and bookmarks and media technologies like newspapers, radio, and television.

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