Normative and non-normative collective action facing repression in a democratic context: A mixed study in a Chilean social movement

Abstract

This work addresses collective action in the context of a social movement facing police repression in a democratic country. The movement studied was carried out in a region of southern Chile, had a very high citizen participation and deployed normative and non-normative actions. We aim to understand why people decided to participate and how they came to consider violent action as a legitimate option. We use a mixed methods approach. In a quantitative study we compare participation in normative and non-normative actions, and find they factor together as part of the same action repertoire, making it possible to speak of a continuum of participation instead of different types. We also replicate key findings of the SIMCA model, with protest participation motivated directly by anger and efficacy, but also by positive emotions. In a qualitative study we found similar results and draw out new data highlighting the relevance of the experience of repression in invoking a need for radical action and creating social cohesion among protestors.

Beyond normative and non‐normative: A systematic review on predictors of confrontational collective action

“…Exploring and contextualizing the evolution of intergroup conflict in confrontational collective actions can be achieved through the application of ethnographic research methods (e.g., Drury & Reicher, 2005;Vestergren et al, 2018). Furthermore, qualitative interviews with individuals actively involved in confrontational collective action offer a valuable avenue for investigating the agency of activists and in-group normative behaviours (e.g., Acar & Uluğ, 2016;Drury & Reicher, 1999;Uluğ & Acar, 2018;Zúñiga et al, 2023). To move beyond a simplistic binary understanding, employing person-centred analysis methods, such as latent profile analysis, can reveal patterns where the same participants engage in both confrontational and nonconfrontational protest actions, contributing a richer perspective to the study of confrontational collective action (e.g., Álvarez et al, 2024;Medel et al, 2022).…”

“…Although widely used, the content of the distinction (e.g., differences and similarities in terms of collective strategies, antecedents, consequences, escalation processes, etc.) is rarely examined (see Saavedra, 2020;Saavedra & Drury, 2022, Zúñiga et al, 2023 for a discussion). We argue that these distinctions are rather limited in understanding the escalation of protest violence and conflictual relationships within historical and political contexts.…”

“…With this conceptualization, we aim to go beyond any binary categorization concerning the use of violence in the context of collective action and argue that what is seen as normative or violent is fluid, depending on historical, cultural and temporal intergroup context. With this conceptualization, we do not aim to add a new one to the already existing binary distinctions (i.e., confrontational vs. non-confrontational); on the contrary, we see confrontational and non-confrontational action strategies as a part of the action repertoire that does not exclude each other and form a continuum of participation (for discussion, see Zúñiga et al, 2023).…”

Beyond normative and non-normative: A systematic review on predictors of confrontational collective action

“…Exploring and contextualizing the evolution of intergroup conflict in confrontational collective actions can be achieved through the application of ethnographic research methods (e.g., Drury & Reicher, 2005;Vestergren et al, 2018). Furthermore, qualitative interviews with individuals actively involved in confrontational collective action offer a valuable avenue for investigating the agency of activists and in-group normative behaviours (e.g., Acar & Uluğ, 2016;Drury & Reicher, 1999;Uluğ & Acar, 2018;Zúñiga et al, 2023). To move beyond a simplistic binary understanding, employing person-centred analysis methods, such as latent profile analysis, can reveal patterns where the same participants engage in both confrontational and nonconfrontational protest actions, contributing a richer perspective to the study of confrontational collective action (e.g., Álvarez et al, 2024;Medel et al, 2022).…”

“…With this conceptualization, we do not aim to add a new one to the already existing binary distinctions (i.e., confrontational vs. non-confrontational); on the contrary, we 20448309, 0, Downloaded from https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjso.12735 by University Of Sussex, Wiley Online Library on [05/03/2024]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License see confrontational and non-confrontational action strategies as a part of the action repertoire that does not exclude each other and form a continuum of participation (for discussion, see Zúñiga et al, 2023).…”