Protest in an Information Age: A Study of Potentiality of Civil Disobedience and Electronic Civil Disobedience Occurrences among Youth in Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak

Alfonso, Min (2021) Protest in an Information Age: A Study of Potentiality of Civil Disobedience and Electronic Civil Disobedience Occurrences among Youth in Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak. PhD thesis, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.

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Abstract

This research sought out to identify the potential towards Civil Disobedience and Electronic Civil Disobedience occurrences among youths in Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak by identifying the individuals which have the potentiality to participate in Civil Disobedience and Electronic Civil Disobedience using a qualitative data with descriptive statistics based on sample’s levels of agreeability with Hacktivist/Activist motivations, their opinions of government, and their thoughts on political/social activism and current affairs. Two types of surveys formulated to collect data from random samples around Petra Jaya, Kuching, Sarawak within the age group of 18-to-40 years old. The purpose of the first, close-ended survey was to collect general information about respondents such as personal details, Internet habits, participation in activism, and Hacktivist activity. Secondly, Likert-scale survey to measure respondents’ agreeability with Hacktivist/Activist motivations, their opinions of government, and opinions on political/social activism and current affairs. The category of Hacktivist/Activist motivations comprised of questions concerning Human Rights, Freedom of Information and Activism/Hacktivism. The second set of questions on respondents’ opinions of government measured respondents’ level of dissatisfaction/satisfaction with the government and policies, their opinion on the necessity of government and how much power the government should have. 72.3% of total respondents were identified as low potential respondents (LLPs), 15.4% of total respondents were identified as Mild Level Potentials respondents (MLPs), Out of the total number of respondents, 12.3% have been identified as High-Level Potentials (HLPs). These are the respondents who have the highest level of Potential towards Civil Disobedience. Majority of HLPs express Mid-to-High agreement with Hacktivism/Activism motivations, specifically issues concerning Human Rights. All of them express High levels of dissatisfaction with government, specifically in their opinion of the current government and policies. They express strong favor for change in government, but not in terms of anarchy/disestablishment. All HLPs also show High levels of interest in activism and current affairs especially in terms of justification of Civil Disobedience activities. All these factors are conducive to high potential of occurrence of Civil Disobedience, and it would be likely to see HLPs participate in, or even incite these activities.

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