%0 Journal Article
%T ¡°#houstonstrong¡±: Resisting and reifying the neoliberal public
%A Jennifer Wingard
%J Communication and the Public
%@ 2057-0481
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/2057047318794961
%X This article argues that during and after Hurricane Harvey, Houstonians used the hashtag #houstonstrong as a way of creating a public. This public functioned much in the ways defined by scholars as a means to forward collective action outside the confines of the state. Although it formed adjacent to state mandates, this public never agitated against state practices. Instead, #houstonstrong became not only a way to organize civilian and privatized rescue during the storm but also a point of pride for Houstonians and businesses across Houston. Therefore, I argue that even though #houstonstrong functioned as a traditional public in many ways, its adherence to neoliberal logics makes it a complex form of publicity that challenges the binary between traditional and neoliberal definitions of public behavior
%K #houstonstrong
%K Houston
%K Hurricane Harvey
%K neoliberalism
%K personal responsibility
%K privatization
%K publics
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2057047318794961