Social Movements: An Analytical Exploration of Organizational Forms

Social movements are interested in the creation of alternative social practices, but must rely upon previous ideas and actions for a starting place. Ideally, anarchists seek to borrow good ideas and avoid bad ideas. This is challenging given anarchist movements’ horizontalist structures—tactics and organizational forms must be transmitted non-hierarchically in order to remain legitimate, as there is not central organization managing, authorizing, and dictating to new anarchist organizations. They key means for institutional isomorphism—how organizations tend to have comparable characteristics—with anarchist movements, is mimicry. This chapter analyses the creation and founding iterations of four “anarchistic franchise organizations”: Anti-Racist Action, Critical Mass, Earth First!, and Food Not Bombs. These tactics and organizational forms have spread through networks of activists and organizers (mainly via word-of-mouth and first-hand experience) and media (especially the Internet, as well as activist press and sometimes mainstream media).

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Contemporary Social Movements in a Hybrid Media Environment

Annual Review of Sociology ◽

10.1146/annurev-soc-121919-054627 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 46 (1) ◽

pp. 443-465

Author(s):

Neal Caren ◽

Kenneth T. Andrews ◽

Todd Lu

Keyword(s):

Social Movements ◽

New Media ◽

Organizational Forms ◽

Media Environment ◽

Media Technologies ◽

Analytical Skills ◽

The Media ◽

Media And Communication ◽

New Media Technologies

Media are central to the dynamics of protest and social movements. Contemporary social movements face a shifting environment composed of new media technologies and platforms that enable new identities, organizational forms, and practices. We review recent research focusing on the ways in which movements shape and are shaped by the media environment and the ways in which changes in the media environment have reshaped participation, mobilization, and impacts of activism. We conclude with the following recommendations for scholarship in this burgeoning area: move toward a broader conception of media in movements; expand engagement with scholarship in neighboring disciplines that study politics, media, and communication; develop new methodological and analytical skills for emerging forms of media; and investigate the ways in which media are enhancing, altering, or undermining the ability of movements to mobilize support, shape broader identities and attitudes, and secure new advantages from targets and authorities.

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Mobil İletişim Teknolojileriyle Değişen Örgütlenme Biçimleri: Ağlarda Örgütlenen Toplumsal Hareketler / Organizational Forms Which Covaries With Mobile Communication Technologies: Social Movements Which are Organized in Networks

Journal of Yaşar University ◽

10.19168/jyu.19224 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 9 (36) ◽

Author(s):

Berk CAYCI ◽

Aysegul Elif KARAGULLE

Keyword(s):

Social Movements ◽

Mobile Communication ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

Organizational Forms

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Evolutionary Dynamics of Organizational Populations and Communities

The Oxford Handbook of Organizational Change and Innovation ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198845973.013.17 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 426-495

Author(s):

Joel A. C. Baum ◽

Hayagreva Rao

Keyword(s):

Social Movements ◽

Evolutionary Dynamics ◽

Ecological Systems ◽

Organizational Forms ◽

Venture Capitalists ◽

New Organizational Forms ◽

Technological Discontinuities ◽

Dominant Designs ◽

Multi Level ◽

Subunit Organization

Evolution is conceptualized as a multi-level phenomenon (subunit–organization–organizational field–national economy) that links organizational and ecological systems. Analysis of population and community-level evolution emphasizes the roles of institutional change (e.g., industry deregulation, globalization, market reforms), technological innovation cycles (e.g., technological discontinuities, dominant designs), entrepreneurs, and social movements as triggers of organizational variation. Institutional and technological change transforms the dynamics of organizational communities by shifting the boundaries of organizational forms, destabilizing or reinforcing existing community structures, giving rise to consensus and/or conflict oriented social movements, and creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and venture capitalists to shape new organizational forms.

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