Impact of Protest Tactics’ Features on Diffusion: Social Media, Forums, and the Turkish Communist Parties

• In Event: 413 - Section on Organizations, Occupations and Work Refereed Roundtable Session. Table 01. Culture and Organizations
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 10. Institutions: Action and Practice

Abstract

This paper examines the impact of protest tactics’ features on diffusion processes. Using the in-depth interviews that were conducted with the members of the Turkish communist organizations, the diffusion processes of the two tactical innovations, social media and forums, in the Turkish communist movement are compared. The findings indicate that, first, the higher the level of competition an innovation’s implementation necessitates, the lower the chances of diffusion. Secondly, some protest tactics create a market-like protest events in which social movement organizations compete for adherents and constituents. The level of inter-organizational competition has an inverse relation with the level of regulation a protest event has.

Author

• Berk Can Deniz, Stanford University