Translocal and Transnational Allies and Social Movement Outcomes

• In Event: 474 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 19. Transnational Activism

Abstract

Though little agreement exists among scholars on what variables enable social movements to influence public policy, there is broad consensus that opportunities play a significant role in this relationship. I thus seek to contribute to theoretical research on which opportunities may be relevant and how these may affect the relationship between social movement organisations and policy change by bringing together perspectives on transnational advocacy networks (TANs) and social movements, to formulate a conceptual model of opportunity that puts emphasis on agency. I integrate models proposed by various TANs scholars to argue that the translocal and transnational allies of domestic social movement organisations should mobilise in three different ways to aid social movements influence policy. First, they need to open up the transnational discursive field for the domestic SMOs by enjoying political influence in the relevant transnational institutional setting. Second, they should engage in direct action by contributing to countering the claims of counter-SMOs on the policy issue under focus. Third, they should engage with the target state in a collaborative and non-confrontational manner. These three conditions are necessary, though not sufficient, for my model also takes into account the strategies employed by domestic SMOs to both protest for greater rights and offset attacks by counter-SMOs. In sum, I seek to move away from the state-centric bias pervasive in the concept of opportunities and broaden the discussion on what counts as an opportunity.

Author

• Asma Ahmed Ali Farah, Royal Holloway, University of London