Civil Society, Economy and the State > Political perspective of collective action — —Role of politics: •A) Framework (political process) •B) Cause (political opportunities, threats) •C) Tool (mobilizing structures, framing) > Political proces model (Tilly) > Political threats and opportunities (Tilly) > Political proces model —What are the conditions for mobilization? —Mobilization can only be understood in the connection with politics —Opportunities/threats to challengers and facilitation/repression from authorities — —S. Tarrow: > Political context > Political opportunity structure —Why does contentious politics seems to develop only in particular periods of history? Why do have movements different forms in different political environments? —Structuralist account of collective action —Institutional environment and relations among political actors within polity —Discursive POS —International POS > Political opportunity structure —Number of independent power centres —Degree of system repression —Elite disunity; the leading factions are internally fragmented —Broadening of access to institutional participation in political processes for new actors —Support of organized opposition by elites —Changes in any of these > Networks and mobilizing structures —Social networks and organizations — > Repertoire of contention > Repertoire of contention —Once the political opportunity is optimal for protest, social movement organizations (SMOs) have a limited “repertoire of contention.” —restricted modes of protests available to non-violent social movement organizations and their activists —mass demonstrations, sit-ins, letter-writing campaigns, circulating petitions, encouraging referenda for elections, candlelight vigils, strikes, the commandeering of public buildings and public spaces sustained protests, worker slow-downs, and planned boycotts. > Framing —Construction of contention —Cognitive frames, ideological packages, cultural discourses – shared meaning inspiring people to collective action —Framing – generalization of grievances > Theories of collective action frames —In Tversky and Kahneman’s 1981 “prospect theory” experiments, they found that 72% of participants initially selected Option A and 28% of participants selected Option B. However, when a different set of participants received the same scenario, but framed slightly differently, the results were essentially opposite. —Apparent inconsistency in choices between the two options is the “framing effect” —A frame is an ideological device that is used to garner –and expand- support from potential constituents and current stakeholders on contentious political and social issues. — > Benford, Snow: > Theories of collective action frames Gamson Snow and Benford · Injustice: identify individuals or institution to blame for grievances · Identity: specify aggrieved group with reference to shared interests and values · Agency: recognize that grieving conditions can be changed through activism · Diagnostic frame: tell new recruits what is wrong and why · Prognostic frame: present a solution to the diagnosed problem · Motivational frame: give people a reason to join collective action Entman Substantive frame functions Substantive frame foci · Defining effects or conditions as problematic · Identifying causes · Conveying moral judgment · Endorsing remedies or improvements · Political events · Issues · Actors > References —Kriesi, H. 2004. “Political Context and Opportunity.” In The Blackwell Companion to Social Movements, eds. David Snow, Sarah Soule a Hanspeter Kriesi. Malden, Oxford, Carlton: Blackwell Publishing, 67-90. —Tarrow, S. 2011. Power in Movement: Social Movements and Contentious Politics, 3rd edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 195-214. —Opp. Karl-Dieter. 2009. Theories of Political Protest and Social Movements: A Multidisciplinary Introduction, Critique, and Synthesis. Abingdon: Routledge. >