Project Influencing the Revolution: Social Media and Digital Fundraising between the United States and Burma/Myanmar Program Clarence E. Dammon Dean Term Academic Year 2024 Status Accepted Research Area Anthropology; STS; International Studies Description The project "Influencing the Revolution: Social Media and Digital Fundraising between the United States and Burma/Myanmar" seeks a part-time undergraduate Research Assistant (RA) for the 2024-2025 academic year with the potential to continue in 2025-2026. The RA will work closely with the Project Director, Professor Courtney Wittekind (Dept. of Anthropology), on developing and implementing this project as part of the National Endowment for Humanities' Dangers and Opportunities of Technology program. The RA will be responsible for reviewing, archiving, and organizing material shared on social media, specifically focusing on Facebook posts related to fundraising efforts in support of Myanmar's "Spring Revolution." The Spring Revolution is an anti-authoritarian movement that rejects a violent coup by Myanmar's military that occurred in 2021 and calls for the return of democratic rule. No prior experience with social media archiving or analysis is expected, but some training will be required. The RA will also be responsible for external communication with groups from Myanmar communities across the United States. Supervisor Courtney Thomas Wittekind Mentor Type of work required Specific responsibilities include:

- Completion of CITI course methodological training;
- Archiving of posts from target Facebook pages focused on online fundraising for Myanmar’s Spring Revolution between Feb 2021 and Feb. 2024;
- Coding of archived posts from target Facebook pages according to established themes;
- Ongoing social media monitoring of target pages relevant to the study;
- Participation in online focus groups with members of target Facebook pages;
- Drafting of a monthly reflection about material collected as a part of the project.

Weekly hours will vary throughout the course of the project and are negotiable based on RA availability, but applicants should anticipate 8-10 hours of work each week (on average) during the 2024-2025 academic year. The RA will also have the opportunity to participate in presentations at major disciplinary conferences and contribute to scholarly publications as a named team member. Websites Qualifications Qualifications include: 1) Academic and/or work experience related to the field of research, including (but not limited to) coursework in anthropology, sociology, or another social science discipline, qualitative research experience, or prior involvement in community outreach or activism; 2) Good academic standing, as defined by the student’s academic advisor; 3) Comfort with independent remote work between regular (2x/month) in-person meetings; 4) (Preferred) Fluency in Burmese (Myanmar) and English. An ideal candidate would also speak one or more minority languages of Myanmar including (but not limited to) Chin, Karen, or Rohingya. Please submit an application via OUR Connect. This position is open to students via multiple OUR programs; students should apply once to the program they prefer. Any questions or concerns can be sent to Dr. Courtney Wittekind at ctwittek@purdue.edu. Credit Hours 0 Weekly Hours 0 (estimated)