Structure, Agency, and Communication Tactics of Activist Organizations

• In Event: Discursive Tactics for Social Change: Research on Activist Organizations and Social Movements

Abstract

This study, conducted by the professor and students of a capstone course on communication and activism, explores the communication tactics of more than 20 activist organizations. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to investigate (1) how activist organizations communicated with their members, stakeholders, and publics; (2) how their communication was characterized at interpersonal, institutional, and societal levels; and (3) what communication tactics they found to be most successful. Theoretical implications will focus on the relationship between structure and agency for organizations specifically created to promote social change.

Author

• Sara DeTurk, University of Texas, San Antonio