LSE PSA 2016

Social movement outcomes in the information age: Spain and the US in comparative [email protected]@ctmferreira

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Presentation Outline

1. Research Context2. Networked Social Movements3. Case Studies: The Spanish Indignados & The Occupy Wall

Street Movement4. Institutionalization of Social Movements5. Previous frameworks of analysis6. A new framework to measure social movements outcomes7. Objectives and operationalization

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Research Context

•Global financial crisis of 2008 propelled a new wave of social movements in several western societies.

•Two key examples: M-15 and OWS movements.

•Objective: to create a new framework to understand the outcomes of networked social movements (Castells, 2013).

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Networked Social Movements (1)

“Networked Social Movements (…) may well be the social movements with the characteristics of the networked society and the social structure of the information age”.

(Castells, 2012)

“The most educated generation ever is using new information technologies to change the contemporary political landscape.”

(Mason, 2014)

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Networked Social Movements (2)

Socio-demographic

changes(Loader, 2007)

Hybrid Media System

(Chadwick, 2013)

Collective and

Connective Action

(Bennett & Segerberg,

2012)

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The Spanish Indignados

• May, 2011: protests and occupation of landmarks against austerity measures.

• Prior to the protests social media is used as a tool to gather citizens.

• Several previous campaigns and movements bring together individuals with similar agendas. The most important one is Democracia Real Ya!

• Widespread support for the movement encourages the formation of Podemos.

• Internal disputes and uncertainty after the elections of December, 2015.

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Occupy Wall Street

• September, 2011: protests and occupation of public spaces. Starts in NY but expands to several countries.

• Protesters call for economic justice and the end of the political establishment.

• Changes reporting and political discourse.

• The American political system remains mostly intact.

• OWS is connected to recent insurgent movements: Bernie Sanders candidacy to the Democratic Party.

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Institutionalization of SMOs

•Common practice: most contemporary protest movements choose to follow conventional forms of protest (Meyer & Tarrow, 1998).

•“In terms of realpolitik, the dreams of realpolitik, the dreams of social change will have to be watered down and channelled through political institutions, either by reform of by revolution” (Castells, 2015).

•SMOs become more domesticated (McAdams et al., 2003).

•Compliant movements risk fragmentation and weakening of their groups (Piven and Cloward, 1977).

•Can create ties with between SMOs and elites with negative impact for the movements’ goals (Della Porta & Diani, 1999).

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The Challenges of Measuring the Outcomes of SMOs

• SMOs are created as responses to diverse issues = different goals (Della Porta & Diani, 1999).

• Establishing a causal relationship between a series of events and a significant change in society (Giugni, 1998)

• Impact of third party effects (Giugni, 1998).

• No consensus on the right moment to analyse the legacy of collective action.

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Political, Biographical and Cultural Consequences of SMOs( Giugni, 2008)

Political• Gamson(1990)• Kitschelt (1986)• Amenta (1992)• Burstein (1998;

1999)• Giugni (2004;

2007)

Biographical

• Giugni (2004)• Goldstone and

McAdams (2011)• McAdams (1989)

Cultural• Burnstein et al.

(1995)• Earl (2000)• Hart (1996)• D’Anjou (1996)• Rochon (1998)

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A new framework of analysis to measure the outcomes of Networked Social Movements1. The evolution of social movements’ aims and goals. 1.1 Tracking the changes of core values and goals of SMOs. 1.2 Understanding how these changes affect the relationship of the movement with its activists and supporters.2. Cultural impact on the Civil Society: 2.1 Online Support and Impact 2.2 Offline Support and Impact3. Social Movements impact on the Political System: 3.1 Decision Making Process 3.2 Institutional Landscape 3.3 Political System

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Conclusion

Objectives:Further the understanding of social movements’ outcomes in the information age.Agent centred approach = Political socialization in the information age.More emphasis on the cultural impact of SMOs.

Operationalization:Netnography of Social Movements: Occupy Wall Street and M-15.Discourse Analysis: Manifestos, speeches and twitter feeds.Interviews with activists.

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Thank you!

For more questions or comments:[email protected]

@ctmferreira