Suchergebnisse

'Winds of Change' examines the global development of the wind energy industry from a political, social movements-based perspective. It shows the varying influence that the environmental movement has had on the growth of this industry in different countries and regions, and the different outcomes this varying influence has led to.

Social movement researchers recognize the importance of brokerage for the spread of contentious politics. This study proposes a new classification of brokerage and identifies the main types of brokers depending on the subgroups to which actors belong and on the subgroups' miscibility. It also introduces the "diffusion and scale-shift paradox": contention spreads more quickly when brokers connect few groups and when they connect groups that are highly miscible; yet, contention cannot spread widely f brokers do not connect diverse groups and groups with low miscibility. The empirical analysis compares the spread of contention on the issues of peace and civil liberties. Results support the scale-shift paradox- they show that contention on civil liberties diffused to more municipalities and shifted upwards to more states mainly because civil liberty activists built bridges between groups that were at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum and outside the progressive community. Adapted from the source document.

This article builds a theoretical framework that highlights the role of social movements in industry emergence and growth. Using insights from the literature on social movement outcomes and industry creation, the article shows that the environmental movement has shaped the development of the wind energy industry at both the national and subnational levels. During the past two decades, wind power has transformed from a small, "alternative" energy industry into a multibillion-dollar global industry that produces electricity for millions of people. Quantitative analysis shows that the wind energy industry grows the fastest in countries and regions that have not only a high density of environmental groups but also good wind potential or a favorable political opportunity structure. Case studies deepen this picture by examining how environmental organizations contribute to the development of the wind energy industry. Adapted from the source document.

This article analyzes one of the most virulent protests witnessed by post-socialist societies: the social movements of the Jiu Valley miners in Romania. I argue that the key to comprehending the Jiu Valley miners' extraordinary mobilization can be found in the density of their social networks, which, under a particular political opportunity structure, became a crucial resource for social movement organizations. Dense social networks and a favorable political opportunity created organizational resources that were utilized by movement entrepreneurs to build a unique participant identity. Having abundant organizational resources, influential allies, and sharing a special collective identity rooted in a tradition of militancy, Jiu Valley miners could achieve a high degree of mobilization, use noninstitutionalized confrontational tactics, and be victorious.