The Diversity Layer: Civil Society Organizations-of-Organizations

• In Event: 3451 - Section on Collective Behavior and Social Movements Refereed Roundtables (1 hour)
  In Refereed Roundtable 60min: 2. Coalitions and Collaboration

Abstract

Civil society theorists have argued that voluntary associations knit together diverse societies by bringing together individuals who differ along salient socio-demographic lines. Studies of individual membership associations, however, typically show their memberships to be socio-demographically homogeneous. An exception to this pattern might be found among organizations-of-organizations (associations whose members are organizations). We propose that this set of associations—the diversity layer of civil society—is likely to be more diverse than associations whose members are individuals. To test our proposition, we assemble data from multiple studies to compare the internal diversity of organizations-of-organizations to that of individual membership organizations. We currently find suggestive evidence that the diversity layer may exist.

Authors

• Matthew G. Baggetta, Indiana University

• Brad R. Fulton, Indiana University

• Zoe Caplan, Indiana University Bloomington