Mario Diani

The concept of social movement

Recent developments in social movement research have evidenced a greater underlying consensus in the field than one might have assumed. Efforts have been made to bridge different perspectives and merge them into a new synthesis. Yet, comparative discussion of the concept of ‘social movement’ has been largely neglected so far. This article reviews and contrasts systematically the definitions of ‘social movement’ formulated by some of the most influential authors in the field. A substantial convergence may be detected between otherwise very different approaches on three points at least. Social movements are defined as networks of informal interactions between a plurality of individuals, groups and/or organizations, engaged in political or cultural conflicts, on the basis of shared collective identities. It is argued that the concept is sharp enough a) to differentiate social movements from related concepts such as interest groups, political parties, protest events and coalitions; b) to identify a specific area of investigation and theorising for social movement research.

Beyond Tocqueville : civil society and the social capital debate in comparative perspective

Recent discussion about the role of civil society in democratic governance around the world and the decline of social capital in the US has raised pressing theoretical and empirical questions about the character of contemporary societies and the social and institutional correlates of sound and dynamic democracies. This debate has reached a North American and European audience that extends well beyond academia. The predominant refrain in the debate, following Alexis de Tocquevilles 160-year-old analysis of democracy in America, attaches tremendous importance to the role of voluntary associations in contemporary democracies. Participation in such groups is said to produce social capital, often linked to high levels of social trust. Social capital in turn is conceived as a crucial national resource for promoting collective action for the common good. Beyond Tocqueville presents 21 varied essays on how civic engagement and political and economic cooperation are generated in contemporary societies, linking theoretical discourse with public policy and actual behaviors.

Organizations, coalitions, and movements

This article uses empirical evidence on networks of voluntary organizations mobilizing on ethnic minority, environmental, and social exclusion issues in two British cities, to differentiate between social movement processes and other, cognate collective action dynamics. Social movement processes are identified as the building and reproducing of dense informal networks between a multiplicity of actors, sharing a collective identity, and engaged in social and/or political conflict. They are contrasted to coalitional processes, where alliances to achieve specific goals are not backed by significant identity links, and organizational processes, where collective action takes place mostly in reference to specific organizations rather than broader, looser networks.

Organisational change in Western European Environmental Groups: A framework for analysis

We present a framework to analyse organisational changes among environmental groups in Western Europe since the 1980s. A more diversified range of organisational models emerges than the simple dichotomy ‘grassroots protest group vs. professional lobby’. We concentrate on four organisational types, based on different organisational responses to problems of resource mobilisation and political efficacy: public interest lobby, participatory protest organisation, professional protest organisation, and the participatory pressure group. We discuss trends towards professionalisation in the context of changes to the public sphere, and point out risks that hyperprofessionalisation may entail for environmental groups.

Simmel to Rokkan and Beyond Towards a Network Theory of (New) Social Movements

This paper assesses the novelty of NSMs - or better, of any social and political movement in contemporary Western societies - in the light of their capacity to develop systems of relationships which cut across established social and political cleavages. It illustrates first the relational bases of Rokkans concept of cleavage, and its contribution to the understanding of social movements; it then shows how Simmels concept of the intersection of social circles and his distinction between concentric and crosscutting circles may be fruitfully applied to the analysis of political cleavages and their changing forms. In the conclusions, the elements of an approach to the study of the newness of social movements, based on the integration of Rokkans and Simmels principles, are introduced.

Network centrality and social movement media coverage: A two-mode network analytic approach

Abstract This article examines the relationship between structural location (namely, degree centrality) and news media coverage. Our central hypothesis is that the network centrality of social movement actors is positively associated with the prevalence of actors being cited in the print news media. This paper uses two-mode data from a communication network of environmentalists in British Columbia, and examines the relationship between their structural location and the frequency by which they are cited in newsprint media with regard to particular frames (about forest conservation, environmental protest, and related issues). We asked a sample of social movement participants about their ties to a target list of relatively high profile actors (environmental activists). We turned the resulting network matrix into a bipartite graph that examined the relationships amongst the target actors vis a vis the respondents. Next we calculated point in-degree for the target actors. For the target actors we also have data from a representative sample of 957 print news articles about forestry and conservation of old growth forests in British Columbia. We compare the effects of network centrality of the target actor versus several attributes of the target actors (gender, level of radicalism, leadership status) on the amount of media coverage that each of the target actors receives. We find that network centrality is associated with media coverage controlling for actor attributes. We discuss theoretical implications of this research. Finally, we also discuss the methodological pros and cons of using a “target name roster” to construct two-mode data on social movement activists.

Network social capital as an outcome of social movement mobilization: Using the position generator as an indicator of social network diversity☆

Abstract In the social mobility literature, the position generator (PG) has been used to examine the relationship between the structural location of individuals, and outcomes such as obtaining a high status job. Diversity of occupational ties (as measured by the PG) is also a significant predictor of an individuals cultural capital. A great deal of work has also been done in the field of social movements examining the relationship between networks and mobilization. However, only limited attention has been given to the position generator in this literature. Also, while past research has demonstrated that prior network ties to activists is one of the most important predictors of current activism, relatively little research has been devoted to examining network structure as an outcome of activism. The present paper builds upon these insights by utilizing data collected with the position generator on a sample of environmental movement members, and examining the relationship between individual activism (as an independent variable) and diversity of occupational ties (as a dependent variable). The result of key theoretical significance is that those who are more active in the environmental movement develop a greater diversity of occupational ties to other environmentalists. Results suggest that this process occurs over time. These findings provide evidence that social capital (as indicated by network diversity) is one outcome of social movement mobilization.

The relational element in Charles Tilly's recent (and not so recent) work

Abstract In his recent work, Charles Tilly has elaborated a systematic, relational approach to the study of large-scale social and political change that he has applied to a range of substantive processes, ranging from migration to democratization. In this essay, I introduce the basic concepts of his perspective and illustrate their appeal to network analysts.

Still the time of environmental movements? A local perspective

Abstract A social network answer is proposed to recurring questions about the persistence of environmental movements or their transformation into interest groups. By exploring the features of environmental collective action in Bristol, Glasgow and Verona, and by identifying two different structural positions in each citys network, organizations with relatively similar profiles are shown to be involved in different logics of collective action. Those differences may be at least partially attributed to some traits of local political contexts.

Struggling Movements in Dubious Opportunities – An Afterword to ‘Surviving Neoliberalism: The Persistence of Australian Social Movements’

The experience of Australian social movements during the Howard government stimulates reflections on the strategies that critical dissenters adopt in order to maximize their mobilizing capacity and chances of success under unfavourable political conditions. It also prompts a reconsideration of our analytic categories in at least two directions. First, by suggesting that other modes of coordination of collective action such as those based on community networks or ad hoc coalitions may prove effective also when it is difficult to build large-scale social movements. Second, by pointing at the variable impact of movements with a different class basis.