Social Movements and Networks: Relational Approaches to Collective Action

by Mario Diani (editor), Doug McAdam (Editor)

For the first time in a single volume, leading social movement researchers map the full range of applications of network concepts and tools to their field of inquiry. They illustrate how networks affect individual contributions to collective action in both democratic and non-democratic organizations; how patterns of inter-organizational linkages affect the circulation of resources both within movement milieus and between movement organizations and the political system; how network concepts and techniques may improve our grasp of the relationship between movements and elites, of the configuration of alliance and conflict structures, of the clustering of episodes of contention in protest cycles. Social Movements and Networks casts new light on our understanding of social movements and cognate social and political processes.

Genres: Social Movements

370 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Aslihan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book presents a critical angle on the role of networks in social movement organizing. The best part is that it has several case studies that makes use of different methodologies, such as historical analysis, comparative historical analysis, ethnography and quantitative modelling. It is a good way to expose the numerous ways that social movements and networks can be analyzed. Also the movements under focus are from different countries and historical periods further contributing to the diversity of the research agenda.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Particularly appreciate the intro by Diani as an entry point to this field.

Most useful to me:
-- Ansell on "embeddedness" and willingness to collaborate among environmental orgs in the Bay Area
-- Diani on role of brokers in Italian environmental movement.

Interested to dig in to some of the others more deeply.