The Social Dynamics of Collective Action: Evidence from the Diffusion of the Swing Riots, 1830-31 (original) (raw)

Waves of Protest—Direct Action, Deliberation, and Diffusion

Canadian Review of Sociology/Revue canadienne de sociologie Volume 52, Issue 1, pages 22–37, February 2015

2014 John Porter Lecture for the Canadian Sociological Association. The book Direct Action, Deliberation and Diffusion: Collective Action After the WTO Protests in Seattle argues that the process of diffusion is dependent on social processes in the receiving context. The most important in social movements is an egalitarian and reflexive deliberation among diverse actors. The book traces the direct action tactics associated with the Seattle protests against the World Trade Organization in 1999 and how these spread to activists in Toronto and New York City. It shows how the structure of the political field, racial and class inequalities, identity boundaries, and organizational and conversational dynamics limited deliberation among activists, and thus limited the diffusion of the Seattle tactics. By constraining the spread of the Seattle tactics, this slowed the global justice movement's wave of protest. In this paper, I explore the application of and implications of this model of protest tactic diffusion to the recent Idle No More mobilizations. Le livre Direct Action, Deliberation and Diffusion: Collective Action After the WTO Protests in Seattle fait valoir que le processus de diffusion dépend de processus sociaux dans le contexte de réception. Le plus important pour les movements sociaux est une délibération égalitaire et réflexive entre divers acteurs. Le livre retrace les tactiques d'action directe associés aux manifestations de Seattle contre l’Organisation Mondiale du Commerce en 1999 et comment ils se propagent à des militants de Toronto et de New York. Il montre comment la délibération de la structure des inégalités le domaine politique, raciales et de classe, les limites de l'identité et de la dynamique de l'organisation et de la conversation limitée parmi les militants, et donc limiter la diffusion de la tactique de Seattle. En limitant la propagation de la tactique de Seattle, ce ralentissement de la vague de protestation du mouvement altermondialiste. Dans cet article, j'explore l'application et implications de ce modèle de diffusion protestation de tactique pour les dernières Idle No More mobilisations.

To what extent can collective protest be explained by diffusion?

MSc in Sociology - Sociological Analysis Weekly Assignment, 2020

Sociological Analysis Formative Assignment selected as example essay for the class in Week 6 of Michaelmas Term 2020. Diffusion is a powerful tool in the explanation of collective protest; theories on the flow of social practices show how protests can rapidly spread, as each new group of individuals becomes hopeful enough to organize and start a movement, other groups are inspired by their organization to follow suit. Numerous theoretical models and empirical findings on the study of social change suggest the value of the ongoing synthesis between a social movement and diffusion theories; studies by Biggs, and Andrews, explain the upsurge of collective protest adopting a rational action approach, in contrast to researches such as the one by Barberena et al. which rely on collective behaviourism. Furthermore, while Kim and Pfaff’s work emphasizes the importance of bridging actors in diffusion through networks' ties, Vasi and Shun highlight the significant role of digital communications in the emergence and escalation of protest waves.

Collective Behavior and Social Movements: Process and Structure

Collective Behavior and Soc. Movments ch. 1, 1994

This chapter offers a framework for the study of this ever illusive and beguiling topic which goes to the very heart of positivist efforts to understand social behavior. Such behavior is invariably characterized by the intermingling of structure and process. An earlier version (not posted here) "Conceptual Problems in the Study of Collective Behavior", is in H. Blalock (ed.), Social Theory and Social Research, Free Press 1980. Chapter I: The Study of Collective Behavior A. What Is Collective Behavior? As we review these pages for the final time sections of Los Angeles are in flames in response to a jury verdict exonerating police whose beating of an African American man was captured on videotape. Supporters and opponents of abortion take to the streets daily. Mexico City searches for answers to a gas explosion that leveled a 40 square block area. The number of men wearing pony tails and one earring and the number of people saying and understanding "yo, dude" seems to be increasing. These diverse actions fall within the area sociologists call collective behavior.

(1983) "Individual and Collective Behaviors within Gatherings, Demonstrations and Riots"

The life cycles of gatherings, demonstrations, and dots begin with an assembling phase and end with a dispersal phase. The three types of events are primarily distinguished by the form and content of individual and collective behaviors that occur in the interim phase when a number of people are in the same locale at the same time. We review the past 15 years' research on behaviors in this phase. We first consider some elementary forms of collective behavior that frequently occur in all gatherings, demonstrations, and dots, We next examine more complex dimensions and forms of behavior within political, religious, and sport demonstrations. We then review research on the individual and aggregate violence against person, property, and property rights that distinguishes riots. Finally, we note some recurring patterns in the research on all three types of events, and we identify problems warranting further investigation .