ABSTRACT
This chapter synthesizes the complex relationship of communication to social action in uniquely accessible and engaging ways. It integrates diverse theoretical and practice-based perspectives to emphasize the purpose and significance of communication to human experience at individual and social levels. Combative activism involves direct confrontations with enemies, a willingness to engage physically, and articulations of ideological and ethical justifications for engaging in combative tactics. Communication has much to offer and much to gain by joining interdisciplinary conversations about activism owing to its unique focus on definitional hegemony, media effects, and the ethicality and efficacy of various communication contexts. A reimagining of activism as combative is paramount importance to the ever-changing terrain of activism and scholarship. The chapter considers conceptualizations of active citizenship and civic and political participation within the context of networked media systems and social media platforms and explores the role of immersive technologies in reshaping perceptions about civic participation.
