Suchergebnisse

Case studies are used to examine women's experiences in organization building in inner-city Schenectady, NY, & Chelsea, MA. In Schenectady, women formed the organization Clean Sweep United to deal with the city's drug problems, while in Chelsea, Latina women challenged recent education policy decisions made by the city. In each of these cases, it is demonstrated that these poor women did not organize to deal solely with conventionally conceived women's issues. Rather, they addressed issues important to the whole community that were rooted in widespread social & economic changes. It is argued that women should identify these larger patterns in their neighborhood efforts & unite to push for broader economic, social, & political changes. 33 References. D. M. Smith

Explores the diverse traits of modern collective action as a fusion of individual identities with the motivations of collective actors, using the example of urban movements in Montreal, Quebec, since the mid-1980s. Principal debates over individualism within liberal democratic thought are reviewed, demonstrating how issues raised by liberal thinkers converge with some of the concerns of social movements research. Their models, it is suggested, assert a confidence in individuals' ability to solve problems in cooperation with others & to assume personal & collective responsibilities. It is concluded that Montreal's pragmatic & proactive forms of urban action represent the local political scene & characterize the unity of individual autonomy & collective solidarity. 44 References. C. Mariani

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