Communication as Transmission, Ritual, and Sintering in Minnesota’s Resistance

    Communication is often thought of as the act of sending information from one person to another. James W. Carey argues that this is the only way to understand communication. He explains two main approaches. The first is communication as transportation or transmission, in which messages move across space to inform, persuade, or control. The second is communication as ritual, where communication helps create shared meaning and maintain a sense of community over time. When these ideas are applied to Adam Serwer’s article “Minnesota Proved MAGA Wrong,” communication becomes central to how power works and how people resist it. Leanne Betasamosake Simpson’s idea of sintering helps explain how that resistance grows slowly through everyday actions and relationships.

    Carey’s transmission model focuses on communication as the movement of messages. This way of thinking fits well with governments and institutions that rely on control and coordination. In Serwer’s article, federal immigration enforcement clearly uses this model. The presence of masked agents, armed patrols, raids, and arrests sends a message of fear. Even people who never directly encounter ICE feel the impact. Families stay inside, students stop going to school, and daily routines are disrupted. These actions communicate that people can be watched, detained, or harmed.

    Official statements also follow the transmission model. Authorities claim that people killed by agents were dangerous, even when videos suggest otherwise. Activists are described as violent, despite their mostly nonviolent actions. These statements are not neutral. They shape how the public understands what is happening and help justify the use of force. In this way, communication becomes a tool of power. Carey’s ritual model offers a different way to understand communication. Instead of focusing on sending information, this model emphasizes how communication helps hold a community together. It is about shared meaning, repeated actions, and a sense of belonging. The resistance in Minnesota strongly reflects this idea.

    The people described in the article are not only sharing information about ICE activity. They are building a culture of care. Churches organize food drives. Volunteers deliver supplies to families who are afraid to leave home. Parents help keep children connected to school and friends. Observers regularly patrol neighbourhoods to warn others. These actions communicate that neighbours will not be abandoned. Serwer refers to this as “neighborism,” a commitment to protecting people simply because they live nearby.

    These actions work as ritual communication because they are repeated and meaningful. Calling families before delivering food, showing up in extreme cold, and choosing nonviolence are all ways of expressing shared values. Nonviolence, in particular, sends an important message. It shows discipline and moral purpose. It challenges the idea that resistance is chaotic or dangerous, and instead presents it as careful and community-focused.

    Simpson’s concept of sintering helps explain how these practices become strong over time. Sintering describes how small actions and relationships slowly build into something solid. It focuses on connection rather than spectacle. In the article, resistance is not led by one person or group. It grows through networks that adapt to changing conditions. When communication channels are compromised, new ones are created. Volunteers use code names, work in pairs, and rely on trusted spaces like churches and schools. Sintering is also important because it brings together people with different backgrounds and beliefs. Many volunteers never expected to become activists. What connects them is not a shared ideology, but shared actions. By repeatedly helping, watching, and showing up for one another, trust develops. This approach is very different from the state’s strategy, which relies on fear, division, and isolation.

    Media and technology play a role in both forms of communication. Phones, text chains, and video can be used for surveillance and control under the transmission model. But they can also support care and connection. A phone call before knocking on a door builds trust. A dispatcher helping volunteers track ICE movements supports safety. Technology becomes part of community building, not just enforcement.

    Carey’s two models help explain the struggle described in Serwer’s article. Federal enforcement uses communication as transmission to intimidate and control. Minnesota’s resistance uses communication as a ritual to build meaning and solidarity. Simpson’s idea of sintering shows how these efforts grow stronger through repeated, everyday practices. Together, these concepts show that communication is not just about messages. It is about how power operates and how people come together to protect one another.