Hybrid: Organizational Membership and Protest Participation in the Age of Social Media and Financial Hardship

• In Event: 474 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 21. Movement Participation

Abstract

Do formal brick-and-mortar civic groups remain relevant as social media enable connective action of self-motivated, self-joining individuals? Adding to the relatively small number of studies that draw on national representative survey data, this research offers one of the first systematic analyses of hybrid organizational membership and protest participation. Results underscore that hybrid organizational membership matters most to protest participation, while neither membership in traditional civic groups nor membership in social-media-only groups is enough. Mobilization exposure, especially via emails, text messages, and SNSs, is significantly associated with protest participation. Grievances, rather than individual resources, are significantly related to protest participation in the U.S. with growing social inequalities. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Authors

• Wenhong Chen, University of Texas at Austin

• Seokho Lee, University of Texas at Austin

• Kang Hui Baek, University of Texas at Austin