Information cascade in feminist movement
An information cascade is a situation where an individual makes a decision based on the observations or choices of others, and each individual’s decision impacts on a greater result. This social theory is picked as one of the main reasons for today’s giant wave of sexual harassment scandals. As Gillian Tett, the author of the article, Trump and the ‘information cascade’ created a cultural reckoning, sexual harassment in every field is probably no worse in 2017 than before. But, why is the issue a big deal just now?
The author pointed out two reasons: digital informational cascade bolstered by technological development, and another information cascade from the election of president Donald Trump.
Thanks to the rise of social media and strengthened cyber community, once the slow-moving bureaucratic and legal process were replaced by lightning speed cyber networks. Therefore, more victims can gather and create a mega crowd where they can speak up about their experiences.
In addition, the election of Donald Trump unexpectedly empowered tons of feminists as most of the people expect that Trump’s victory might be bad for women. As some of the women start to speak out on the issue, more and more observers, who once feared about the backlash of witch-hunt, are alarmed and joined the huge feminist movement.
Retrieved from: https://www.ft.com/content/6973e6d6-d047-11e7-9dbb-291a884dd8c6