14. Structures and Structural Transformation in New Social Movements

• In Event: 232 - Informal Discussion Roundtable Session

Abstract

Horizontal social movements present three distinct analytical challenges. First, the lack of official records and the relative informality of organizational structures limit the range of available data about a movement's internal dynamics. Second, periods of high movement activity often coincide with periods of intense structural transformation of the movement itself. The conceptualization of change over time becomes a central piece of the analytical puzzle. Third, movement participants retain significant heterogeneity even as they coalesce around a central set of ideas or demands. Analysts are tasked with conceptualizing within-case difference instead of treating movements as internally coherent cases that can be juxtaposed to non-participation. The roundtable will open up space for discussion on methodological and conceptual solutions to each of the aforementioned challenges.

Author

• Martin Eiermann, University of California-Berkeley