Class 4: Aspects of Social Movement Activity

Mobilisation, recruitment, and participation

Dr. Michael C. Zeller

Opening notes

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Presentation groups

Presentations line-up
Date Presenters Method
4 Dec: Daichi, Seongyeon, Jehyun TBD
18 Dec: Ayla, Tara, Theresa, Annabelle TBD
15 Jan: Luna, Emilene, Raffa, Sofia TBD

Klausur preview

  • structure of an essay
    1. Broad introductory response
    2. Elaborate in (sufficient) detail to answer the questions
    3. Describe examples
    4. Concluding summary
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Klausur preview (1)

  1. Broad introduction
  1. Elaborate in detail
  1. Describe examples
  1. Concluding summary

What does ‘political opportunity structure’ mean? How does it help us understand how movements emerge and (potentially) have an impact? Discuss with examples

Klausur preview (1)

  1. Elaborate in detail
  1. Describe examples
  1. Concluding summary

What does ‘political opportunity structure’ mean? How does it help us understand how movements emerge and (potentially) have an impact? Discuss with examples

  1. Broad introduction

Political opportunity structure (POS) refers to availabilities of resources, institutional arrangements, and histories of mobilisation that shape (facilitating/hindering) movement activity. Different aspects of these components are relevant to different movements. But POS in all cases is an important part of explaining if and how movements form, how they operate, and whether and what kinds of impacts they can have. …

Klausur preview (2)

  1. Broad introduction
  1. Elaborate in detail
  1. Describe examples
  1. Concluding summary

What does ‘political opportunity structure’ mean? How does it help us understand how movements emerge and (potentially) have an impact? Discuss with examples

Klausur preview (2)

  1. Broad introduction
  1. Describe examples
  1. Concluding summary

What does ‘political opportunity structure’ mean? How does it help us understand how movements emerge and (potentially) have an impact? Discuss with examples

  1. Elaborate in detail

POS defines what resources are available for emergent movements to use, whether they can access the public sphere and/or political decision-making, and whether there are viable models of mobilisation and campaigning. While individuals and groups always have some possibility of exercising their agency, the structure referred to by POS is a powerful constraining set of factors. …

Klausur preview (3)

  1. Broad introduction
  1. Elaborate in detail
  1. Describe examples
  1. Concluding summary

What does ‘political opportunity structure’ mean? How does it help us understand how movements emerge and (potentially) have an impact? Discuss with examples

Klausur preview (3)

  1. Broad introduction
  1. Elaborate in detail
  1. Concluding summary

What does ‘political opportunity structure’ mean? How does it help us understand how movements emerge and (potentially) have an impact? Discuss with examples

  1. Describe examples

At a most basic level, POS can refer to the freedom for movements to form, to mobilise and campaign for certain goals. Authoritarian states typically restrict this freedom and offer less space for movements than in liberal democratic states like Germany. Looking closely at specific examples can demonstrate how POS shapes movements. The anti-nuclear movement in Germany, for example, benefited by forming in the wake of 1968-era mobilisations, so models existed for mobilising. Germany’s federal state structure presented more ‘opportunities’ for movements to disrupt implementation of nuclear projects. Critical events, such as Cold War missile installation and the Chernobyl accident, strengthened the movement. And Germany’s (PR) electoral system made the creation of a political party (i.e., institutionalisation and creation of elite allies) a viable option. Germany’s virtually non-existent nuclear power infrastructure is evidence of the anti-nuclear movements success in Germany, contrasted with less successful movement activity in, e.g., France. …

Klausur preview (4)

  1. Broad introduction
  1. Elaborate in detail
  1. Describe examples
  1. Concluding summary

What does ‘political opportunity structure’ mean? How does it help us understand how movements emerge and (potentially) have an impact? Discuss with examples

Klausur preview (4)

  1. Broad introduction
  1. Elaborate in detail
  1. Describe examples

What does ‘political opportunity structure’ mean? How does it help us understand how movements emerge and (potentially) have an impact? Discuss with examples

  1. Concluding summary

To assess whether and in what ways movements can emerge, whether and in what ways movements can have an impact, it is essential to consider relevant POS aspects. Movements exercise their agency within the limitations created by POS.

Forming presentation groups

  • 2-4 students
  • rank three possible dates for presentation
  • for later:
    1. find research article of interest
    2. what method is used: is it of interest too?
The Show Looks Good Lizzo GIFfrom The Show Looks Good GIFs

Networks

  • opening questions
  • network membership
  • social network example
  • mobilising networks and collective action
Networking GIFfrom Networking GIFs

Opening question

What types of social networks exist? Where? (When?)

Network membership

  • (nearly) everyone is a member of multiple social networks
    • some informal and loose
    • others formalised, with clearly defined structure

Network membership

  • (nearly) everyone is a member of multiple social networks
    • some informal and loose
    • others formalised, with clearly defined structure
  • networks have many functions
    • knowledge/info. sharing
    • coordinating action
    • others?

Network membership

  • (nearly) everyone is a member of multiple social networks
    • some informal and loose
    • others formalised, with clearly defined structure
  • networks have many functions
    • knowledge/info. sharing
    • coordinating action
    • others?
  • BUT… it is not necessarily clear who is important in a network and how

Social network example - Barabási (2016, 17)

  • Hungarian company noticed misleading internal information about plans of upper management

  • network scientists asked employees who they rely on for company information
  • here, two individuals are connected if one nominated the other as his/her source of

Social network example - Barabási (2016, 17)

  • now, identifying network influence of ranks in company hierarchy
  • no directors are hubs. Nor are the top managers
  • biggest hub (most influential individual) is an ordinary employee

Social network example - Barabási (2016, 17)

  • many employees at most two links from the big hub, an employee in charge of safety issues
    • regularly visits each location and talks with the employees; connected to everyone except the top management; acts as a gossip centre

Mobilising networks and collective action (della Porta and Diani 2009, 115–16)

  • circular relationship of social networks and movements:
    1. networks facilitate collective action
      • get people involved
      • share information
      • coordinate activity
    2. collective action forms/reshapes networks
      • participation creates new connections, which can affect subsequent decisions
      • in particular, network embeddedness is often powerful explanatory factor for continued participation

Networks and individuals’ decisions to participate

How do social networks affect decisions to participate in collective action? (2009, 118–19)

Mobilization in social movements frequently occurs through mechanisms of “bloc recruitment” (Oberschall, 1973): cells, branches, or simply significant groups of members of existing organizations are recruited as a whole to a new movement, or contribute to the start of new campaigns (della Porta and Diani 2009, 120)

Networks and individuals’ decisions to participate

Mobilization in social movements frequently occurs through mechanisms of “bloc recruitment” (Oberschall, 1973): cells, branches, or simply significant groups of members of existing organizations are recruited as a whole to a new movement, or contribute to the start of new campaigns (della Porta and Diani 2009, 120)

what are the mobilising networks in cases you know of?

Individuals in networks, summing up

  • networks perform many functions
    • socialisation (i.e., acquiring [political] values, beliefs, behaviours)
    • influencing individuals’ decisions/sympathies
      • should I stay involved?
      • should I advocate for more radical actions?
      • should I support different leadership?
  • weak ties can serve as better source for mobilisation than strong ties because weak ties are more likely to be inclusive and link to organisations/opportunities to engage (Granovetter 1973)
    • U.S. Civil Rights Movement relied on ‘weak-tie networks’; Brigate Rosse (IT), on ‘strong-tie networks’ (family, friends)

Individuals in networks, summing up

  • networks are important, but not necessary and not solely sufficient for mobilisation of an individual
    • powerful combination of strong commitment and strong ties to other participants = continued participation
    • amenable networks and frame resonance are sufficient to mobilise individuals (without need of prior connection to an org.) (cf. della Porta and Diani 2009, 125)

Further on networks… with Manuel Castells:

Poll: org. change and youth

A QR code for the survey.

Take the survey at https://forms.gle/soCtvvSX5TKuURp57

  • social media networks have eased mobilisation and expanded movement participation?
  • offline, ‘brick and mortar’ organisations are as important as ever for movement activism
  • young people more prominent, numerous in activism?
  • if young people are more present in movement activism, is it an advantage or disadvantage?

social media eased mobilisation, expanded participation?

offline, orgs as important as ever

Old-school organisation (American CRM)

Old-school organisation (American CRM)

  • MLK’s ‘I have a dream’ speech (28.8.1963)
    • delivered previously, in N. Carolina (27.11.1962) and in Detroit (23.6.1963)

Old-school organisation (American CRM)

  • MLK’s ‘I have a dream’ speech (28.8.1963)
    • delivered previously, in N. Carolina (27.11.1962) and in Detroit (23.6.1963)
  • Bayard Rustin: capable, competent organisers in key positions
    • instead of standard 1000-2000 USD sound system, 16,000 USD state-of-the-art system

Tufekci (2017) on twitter netz, old-school orgs

from start until 5.12

which social media platforms are you on? Could you imagine getting ‘mobilised’ via them?

Organisations

  • opening question
  • ‘necessity’ of organisations
  • emergence and persistence
  • types of organisations
  • key developments
1u Industrial GIFfrom 1u GIFs

Opening question

What types of social movement organisations exist? What are the key differentiating attributes?

Necessity of organisations

Movements are not based on networks alone; without some degree of formal organization, movements frequently fade away or dissipate their energies. (Tarrow 2011, 146)

BUT… to what extent/degree is organisation helpful?

Tarrow (2011, 160): if organisations formalise/institutionalise, may lose capacity for disruption; but if they lack infrastructure, they may be unable to sustain interaction with allies, authorities, supporters

  • cf. Piven and Cloward (1979): movements’ strength lies in their power to disrupt
    • Michels (1962): ‘iron law of oligarchy’ - over time, organisations give up their original goals, fall into routine, and ultimately accept the rules of the existing system

Organisations: emergence and persistence

  1. orgs emerge out of episodes of contention
  2. orgs begin locally and scale up/spread through contention
    • has the internet changed this?
  3. key to org survival is interpersonal networks within them (cf. Ganz 2010 on org. structure enhancing strategic capacity)

Organisations: emergence and persistence

  1. orgs emerge out of episodes of contention
  2. orgs begin locally and scale up/spread through contention
    • has the internet changed this?
  3. key to org survival is interpersonal networks within them (cf. Ganz 2010 on org. structure enhancing strategic capacity)
  • difference between bureaucratic organisations and grassroots radical organisations – one common org. type distinction

Organisations: emergence and persistence

  1. orgs emerge out of episodes of contention
  2. orgs begin locally and scale up/spread through contention
    • has the internet changed this?
  3. key to org survival is interpersonal networks within them (cf. Ganz 2010 on org. structure enhancing strategic capacity)
  • difference between bureaucratic organisations and grassroots radical organisations – one common org. type distinction

AFL-CIO: heavily formalised org., traditional bargaining tactics (ineffective), failed to win concessions from growers

UFW: experienced leaders willing to listen to new ideas, org structure facilitating vertical exchange (creates tactical innovation and strategic capactity), won concessions

Different types of movement orgs. (per Tarrow 2011)

  • Exclusive affiliations:
    • demand long membership accession, rigid discipline, high level of commitment
    • closed off to outside
  • Multiple affiliations:
    • not monopolising members’ commitment
    • multiple commitments is a source of strength
    • facilitates circulation of information, especially through informal/interpersonal networks

How do these different types relate to our discussion of framing?
- recall frame alignment (esp. ‘bridging’ and ‘extenstion’)

SM orgs. - key developments (Tarrow 2011, 133f)

  1. enhanced availability of the media (TV, internet) in diffusing the influence of movement organisations
  2. increased amount of money, free time, and expertise available to young people since the beginning of the postwar boom years
  3. financial and administrative resources available to movement organisations from foundations, from governments, and even, in some cases, from business and civic groups
  • uses of internet/social media
    • fundraising, share ideology and propaganda, provide training and recruitment opportunities, overcome constraints/counteraction of authorities/opponents

Concluding considerations

young people more prominent, numerous in activism?

if more young people in activism, advantage or disadvantage?

Concluding considerations

Any questions, concerns, feedback for this class?

Anonymous feedback here: https://forms.gle/AjHt6fcnwZxkSg4X8

Alternatively, please send me an email: m.zeller@lmu.de

References

Barabási, Albert-László. 2016. Network Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1145/1557019.1557025.
della Porta, Donatella, and Mario Diani. 2009. Social Movements: An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-008044910-4.00803-8.
Ganz, Marshall. 2010. Why David Sometimes Wins: Leadership, Organization, and Strategy in the California Farm Worker Movement. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Granovetter, Mark S. 1973. “The Strength of Weak Empathy.” American Journal of Sociology 78 (6): 1360–80. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0269889712000130.
Michels, Robert. 1962. Political Parties: A Sociological Study of the Oligarchical Tendencies of Modern Democracy. New York: Collier Books.
Piven, Francis Fox, and Richard A Cloward. 1979. Poor People’s Movements. New York: Vintage Books.
Tarrow, Sidney G. 2011. Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511973529.
Tufekci, Zeynep. 2017. Twitter and Tear Gas: The Power and Fragility of Networked Protest. New Haven: Yale University Press.