Social Movement Theory Today: Toward a Theory of Action?

Jasper, James M.

doi:10.1111/j.1751-9020.2010.00329.x

Cited by 90 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Different fields often bring along different definitions, assumptions, and concepts, which hinder attempts at theoretical integration. The different literatures on collective action, social movement participation, and voting turnout are no exception (for discussions, see Jasper, ; Kinder & Sears, ; McAdam, Tarrow & Tilly, ; Opp, ). Political scientists, for example, ask and test what brings people out to the vote (e.g., Gerber et al, ); social psychologists ask and test which motivational processes lead people to participate in demonstrations (Klandermans, ; Van Zomeren, ); and sociologists and political scientists ask and test how institutions and other aspects of social structure stimulate or limit participation in the political system (Giddens, ; Kriesi, ; McAdam, ; Opp, ).…”

Section: Definitions and Assumptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Definitions and Assumptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Building a Tower of Babel? Integrating Core Motivations and Features of Social Structure into the Political Psychology of Political Action

Zomeren

2016

Political Psychology

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The political psychology of political action provides the potential for building bridges between scholars from different fields. The main aim of this article is to set some baby steps toward building two conceptual bridges by bringing together a core motivation approach to political action with core features of the social structure that embeds those core motivations. The first conceptual bridge relies on considering a broader motivational model than provided by rational actor or social identity approaches, whereas the second bridge relies on considering core features of the social structure as potentiating these core motivations for political action. More specifically, I first discuss definitions of political action. Second, I identify four converging themes across different literatures on collective action, social movement participation, and voting turnout, resulting in a taxonomy of core motivations for political action (i.e., personal or group-based identity, efficacy, emotion, and moral motivations). Third, in a more explorative fashion I identify four core features of the social structure (ingroup, outgroup, interpersonal network, and institutional features), which I tentatively connect with the taxonomy of core motivations. Finally, I discuss the theoretical, empirical, and practical implications of this generalist, generative, and integrative perspective on political action.

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Section: Definitions and Assumptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Definitions and Assumptionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building a Tower of Babel? Integrating Core Motivations and Features of Social Structure into the Political Psychology of Political Action

Zomeren

2016

Political Psychology

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“…As scholars have increasingly realized the role of cultural and economic factors in social movements (Gamson andMayer 1996, Wahlström andPeterson 2006), some have attempted to wrap those factors under the umbrella of the political opportunity structure, which inevitably renders the latter overly inclusive, and as a consequence, the concept loses its explanatory power. Recently, some other scholars have gone further and called for a theory of action (Jasper 2010). This pursuit has not produced much consensus yet, and two theoretical directions can be discerned: rational choice theory of collection action (Opp 2009) and cultural and emotional theory of strategic choices (Jasper 2006).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Opportunities in action: the case of the US Computer TakeBack Campaign

2011

Contemporary Politics

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This article examines the rise and consequences of the Computer TakeBack Campaign in the USA, and argues that the campaign's achievements can be attributed to its active engagement with the economic, political, and discursive opportunity structures. First, the campaign changed the political opportunity structure and built political legitimacy for itself. Second, the campaign took advantage of the economic opportunity structure, created the leader/ laggard frame, embarrassed its target, and utilized forces of market competition to push the Dell Corporation to change its policy. Third, the campaign created a favourable discursive opportunity structure by mobilizing college students and framing the e-waste crisis as a moral issue. Traditional political process theory has been criticized for being overly structuralist and for focusing solely on political movements. This case study shows that a modified understanding of opportunities can enhance the explanatory power of the traditional approach.

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“…In his paper on social movement theory, James Jasper () reviewed and criticized the previous attempts and contemporary ambitions to propose a “grand theory” that explains social movements by factors of history and society. He argues that this attempt is futile, and we should put aside such macro factors “in favor of a concern for the microfoundations of social and political action” (Jasper, , p. 965). The stages approach is not a theory in the sense of predicting when mass mobilization will occur and the conditions in which it succeeds.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The stages of mass mobilization: separate phenomena and distinct causal mechanisms

Shultziner

Goldberg

2018

J Theory Soc Behav

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The notion that mass mobilization has analytically important stages is underappreciated in the literature. This paper proposes an approach that decomposes mass mobilization into three main phenomena: origins, protest and outcome. Each stage is characterized by unique factors and mechanisms. Accordingly, the research questions pertaining to each stage are dealt with by multiple levels of analysis and alternative explanations, allowing theory testing and theory development. The paper highlights separate causal mechanisms that operate in the emergence of grievances and protest motivation during the origins stage; mechanisms involving different forms of pressure, organization, psychological processes, and external forces during the protest stage; and mechanisms pertaining to key players and strategies that determine outcomes of mass mobilization. We illustrate that certain factors and mechanisms which are key in one stage have little or no causal relevance in the other stages. Other factors and mechanisms may also dramatically change in content, meaning or configuration between the stages. This theoretical approach facilitates the integration of a large and diverse body of scholarship into a structured analysis of mass mobilization that allows for both a detailed case study as well as comparison of stages across mass protests. The analysis of stages and causal mechanisms is illustrated across cases of democratization, revolution, and protest within democracy.

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Social Movement Theory Today: Toward a Theory of Action?

Cited by 90 publications

References 45 publications

Building a Tower of Babel? Integrating Core Motivations and Features of Social Structure into the Political Psychology of Political Action

Building a Tower of Babel? Integrating Core Motivations and Features of Social Structure into the Political Psychology of Political Action

Opportunities in action: the case of the US Computer TakeBack Campaign

The stages of mass mobilization: separate phenomena and distinct causal mechanisms

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