Poor People’s Collective Action: Vigilante Movements and the State in the Global South

• In Event: 485 - Section on Sociology of Development Refereed Roundtable Session and Business Meeting
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: Table 02. Inequality, Poverty, and Mobilization

Abstract

The failure of states to ensure public order and safety has led to the emergence of vigilante groups in the Global South in recent decades. In turn, these groups’ use of extralegal violence for self-defense directly challenges state authority. Despite its increasing relevance, vigilante collective action in the Global South has not been systematically studied and theorized in sociology. Drawing on collective action and social movement theory, I attempt to do that in this paper. Using rich data and narratives from anthropological studies, human rights reports, and newspapers, I analyze and compare the dynamics of vigilante groups in Nigeria, Peru, and Mexico, with additional evidence from other countries. I focus on the similarities and differences of the patterns of vigilante group emergence, transformation, and state response. Specifically, I try to explain under which conditions vigilante groups develop political movement qualities, expand the scope of their activities and become non-state service providers, are coopted by politicians, or turn into violent looters of the very communities they emerged to protect. This paper expands our understanding of social movements and challenges theories of state-society relations and political development.

Author

• Michael Roll, University of Wisconsin-Madison