ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the role that mobile phones play in protest mobilization by investigating mobile-phone-facilitated political protests in China. It analyzes the influence of 'guanxi', understood as 'interpersonal relationship' or 'personal connections' in Chinese and embodied in mobile communication, on protest mobilization and recruitment. The chapter provides a critical review of current studies of mobile communication and protest mobilization, addressing the relevance of approaching such a topic from the perspective of social tiesguanxi in this case that underline the influence of interpersonal relationships for mobilization. It elaborates on case selection, data collection, and analysis methods and gives brief overview of four protests in rural and urban China that exemplify how the Chinese people have taken advantage of the mobile phone in initiating and mobilizing protests against the authorities. The chapter demonstrates the relevance and effectiveness of mobile communication in mobilizing participants' guanxi, as it relates to issues of credibility, reliability, and reciprocity for protest mobilization.
