How do online movements build and sustain a shared collective identity when participants face severe risks?

Host: Hello and welcome to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. I am your host, Anna Ivy Summers, and today we are looking at an extraordinary study titled, "PRODUCING THE “WE” IN HIGH-RISK ONLINE ACTIVISM: IDENTITY CONFIGURATIONS IN MY STEALTHY FREEDOM." Joining me is our resident expert, Alex Ian Sutherland. Welcome, Alex!

Expert: Thanks, Anna. It is great to be here. This study is truly fascinating because it explores something that challenges a lot of standard assumptions about digital communities. Specifically, it examines how a sense of collectiveness and shared identity is built and sustained in high-risk online social movements, focusing on the "My Stealthy Freedom" movement opposing compulsory hijab in Iran.

Host: Let us unpack the problem this study addresses. Much of modern research suggests that online activism is mostly about individualized, low-stakes sharing—what scholars call "connective action." In that view, people share hashtags or sign petitions from their couches, and a strong shared identity is not really necessary. But what happens when the stakes are life-altering?

Expert: Exactly. That is the core puzzle. In a repressive environment, taking part in an online movement is not a casual click. Activists face arrest, legal prosecution, social stigma, and physical violence. In those situations, you cannot just rely on loose, individualized networks. You need deep solidarity, trust, and shared risk-taking. Prior research did not explain how an online movement can forge that deep, high-stakes "we" when people cannot safely meet in the town square.

Host: So how did the researchers investigate this? What was their approach?

Expert: The authors used an ethnographic and comparative approach, adopting what is called a performative practice lens. They looked at how activists actually communicated and acted across three major digital platforms: Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Over several years, they analyzed hundreds of posts, public interactions, and photos from the "My Stealthy Freedom" campaign, observing how the movement operated across different digital architectures.

Host: And what did they find? What were the key outcomes of the study?

Expert: First, the study demonstrated that high-risk online activism definitely requires and produces a distinct collective identity—a shared sense of "we-ness"—through hybrid online and offline protest practices. It is not just about posting online; it is about women filming themselves unveiling in public spaces and then uploading those acts to inspire others.

Host: They also discuss the concept of identity configurations across different platforms, right? For our listeners who might be unfamiliar, how should we understand that term?

Expert: That is an important concept. Simply put, identity configuration refers to how a person’s individual identity and their collective identity are interconnected and continually shape each other through what they do and say. The study demonstrated that this dynamic looks very different depending on the platform's features.

Host: Can you break down those different configurations?

Expert: Absolutely. On Facebook, the movement operated as an "imagined community." The page served as a central repository where the founder curated individual stories, weaving them into a grand narrative of shared national belonging. On Instagram, it evolved into "connected communities," driven by direct peer-to-peer engagement, video testimonies, and micro-influencers supporting each other. On Twitter, it became a "flash crowd," characterized by rapid, issue-focused bursts of visibility aimed at international journalists and policy makers.

Host: The authors also identified three movement-level practices that tie this all together, didn't they?

Expert: Yes. The study developed a theoretical framework around three core practices: presencing the collective, orchestrating collective action, and moving activists to enact risky protest. They show how leaders visualize the community so members know they are not alone, orchestrate specific tactics like walking unveiled on Wednesdays, and mobilize shared emotion to overcome fear and turn private conviction into public, courageous action.

Host: That focus on channeling collective emotion into real-world action is powerful. Now, let us bring this into our domain: why does this matter for business leaders and organizations?

Expert: In today's business environment, many leaders are struggling with how to build real unity, commitment, and culture in decentralized or remote workplaces. Digital tools often produce loose, transactional connections—much like low-risk connective action. But when an organization faces a crisis, a major transformation, or a high-stakes pivot, leaders need a genuine "we-ness." This study shows that a collective identity is not an abstract mission statement hanging on a wall; it is produced continuously through performative practices—through what people visibly do, share, and risk together.

Host: It also provides clear guidance on how we think about internal communication platforms, does it not?

Expert: It really does. Many companies treat all enterprise tools the same, whether it is Slack, Microsoft Teams, or an internal intranet. But this study shows that platform affordances shape social cohesion differently. A broadcast-style hub functions like an imagined community, while collaborative chat channels function like connected communities. Leaders need to orchestrate these spaces intentionally, recognizing how different channels shape identity, trust, and shared emotion across teams.

Host: When teams feel part of a collective "we," they can navigate uncertainty and high-stakes change far more effectively.

Expert: Precisely. High commitment requires shared risk, visible role modeling, and genuine emotional resonance, whether in social activism or organizational life.

Host: Such a fascinating bridge between digital sociology and modern organizational leadership. To summarize, this study reveals how high-risk digital activism actively generates collective identity across distinct platforms through everyday performative practices, offering vital lessons for anyone looking to build true cohesion in digital networks. Alex, thank you so much for breaking down this insightful study for us.

Expert: My pleasure, Anna.

Host: And to our listeners, thank you for tuning in to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. Join us next time as we continue exploring the ideas shaping our world. Have a great week!