Suchergebnisse

Movements develop in coevolution with regimes & other actors in their environments. Movement trajectories evolve through stochastic processes & are constrained, but not determined, by structures. Coevolution provides a theoretical structure for organizing existing understandings of social movements & sharpening future research. Stochastic thinking is essential for recognizing both the volatility & path dependence of collective action & its underlying structural constraints. Formal models of diffusion, adaptive learning, mutual reinforcement, & inter-actor competition are developed & compared with empirical protest series. Responses to exogenous reinforcement, mutual adaptation in which failure is as important as success, & inter-actor competition are the most plausible mechanisms to account for empirical patterns. Trajectories of action depend upon the number of discrete random actors. Overall, the analysis suggests that movement dynamics are shaped more by interactions with other actors than by processes internal to a movement, & that empirical analysis must be sensitive to the level of aggregation of the data. 10 Figures, 64 References. Adapted from the source document.

Analyzes the relationship between diffusion & processes termed "network effects" in social movement theory, & develops models for the flow of information, the flow of influence, & the construction of joint action. The models aim to represent the strength of network ties & the empowerment of network ties to evolve & be dependent on other processes. The models are detailed, & include network effects such as dimensions of connection, network structures, & sizes of networks. The flow of information includes modeling concerning media coverage (or the lack of coverage) of social movement activities, namely protest. The modeling of the empirical data patterns illuminates the underlying processes that give rise to social movement patterns. 12 Figures. L. Collins Leigh

Analyzes the relationship between diffusion & processes termed "network effects" in social movement theory, & develops models for the flow of information, the flow of influence, & the construction of joint action. The models aim to represent the strength of network ties & the empowerment of network ties to evolve & be dependent on other processes. The models are detailed, & include network effects such as dimensions of connection, network structures, & sizes of networks. The flow of information includes modeling concerning media coverage (or the lack of coverage) of social movement activities, namely protest. The modeling of the empirical data patterns illuminates the underlying processes that give rise to social movement patterns. 12 Figures. L. Collins Leigh

Demonstrates the value of mathematical modeling in social movement research, particularly for investigating collective action. Eight fundamental principles in generating & analyzing formal mathematical models are outlined & some strengths & weaknesses of mathematical modeling & simulation approaches are identified. Some specialized computer programs ideally suited to working with these models & simulations are reviewed. For the nonmathematically inclined, some principles are offered to guide the evaluation of formal models used in others' research. 1 Figure, 1 Appendix, 51 References. K. Hyatt Stewart

A case study of the anti-dam movement in southern Brazil shows how particular local mobilizations are linked to national and global economics, politics, and social movements. In the early stages, the progressive church was the predominant influence and was largely responsible for framing the key issue as peasants' right to land, while left intellectuals contributed a class analytical frame. After 1988, the weakening of the regional power company ELETROSUL, the crisis of the Left after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the defeat of the agrarian reform movement, the rise of national and international ecology movements, and the anti-dam movement's need for a broader political and financial base all contributed to the adoption of a broadened and more pro-active land/energy/ecology frame and an alliance with international environmentalism. (Mobilization / FUB)