Distant Authority Structures and the Attribution of Blame: Activists vs. Superpowers

• In Event: 538 - Section on Global and Transnational Sociology Paper Session. Social Movements and Human Rights

Abstract

As research on the sociology of knowledge, conflict, and framing demonstrates, collective actors engage in sense-making activities that identify allies and adversaries, justify their actions, and explain movement outcomes. But relatively little attention has been paid to how activists perceive and incorporate the less- or unobservable social forces—what we dub “distant authority structures”—assumed to be at play in their field of action. This is a significant shortcoming because movements’ orientations to authorities significantly define their character, identities, and dynamics. Because American interests and its superpowers are assumed to be at play in most fields of action, we unpack and analyze how America as a global actor is understood and explained in the accounts of Arab activists based in the U.S., Great Britain, and Jordan who work on behalf of democratic reform in the Middle East. By analyzing their understandings and explanations of the U.S.’ role in international affairs, we demonstrate variations in their views and propose the logics underlying these views, including empirically-unsubstantiated and unconfirmable claims. We conclude by proposing the mechanisms shaping these contrast conceptions and the consequences for mobilization of crediting the U.S. with omnipotent and omnipresent power.

Authors

• Dana M. Moss, University of California-Irvine

• David A. Snow, University of California-Irvine