The Hashtag Revolution: Examining the Role of Cultural Netizenship in Promoting Political Change in Sub-Saharan Africa

In recent years, the proliferation of social media platforms
and the widespread adoption of smartphones have
provided a new avenue for political activism in sub-Saharan
Africa. The hashtag has emerged as a particularly powerful
tool, allowing marginalized voices to be amplified and
mobilizing collective action. However, the relationship
between cultural netizenship and political change in this
context is complex and not well understood. This proposal
seeks to address this gap in the literature by examining the
role of cultural netizenship in promoting political change in
sub-Saharan Africa.
To address this research question, the proposed study will
employ a mixed-methods approach, including both
qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis,
with a case study analysis of three specific hashtags that
have been associated with political change in sub-Saharan
Africa: #EndSARS in Nigeria, #SilentProtest in South Africa,
and #ThisFlag in Zimbabwe.
Overall, this proposal seeks to contribute to a better
understanding of the role of cultural netizenship in
promoting political change in sub-Saharan Africa, and to
provide valuable insights for those working in the fields of
communication, sociology, and political science.