Social Movement Structures in Relation to Goals and Forms of Action

What is it about?

This article describes a theoretical taxonomy of the structural features of social movements. We begin by using two classification criteria to analyze the types of relations that characterize the structure of social movements. From there, we look at how differences in structure relate to different goals and forms of action. We then derive a four-fold classification system based on formalization and hierarchy of relationships. For each classification we provide case descriptions of social movements (or parts thereof) using literature on how different movement structures support different types of goals and forms of action. Furthermore, we discuss the dynamics of social movements (or parts thereof) and how their classification may evolve. By doing so, we illustrate how changes in structure, goals, and forms of action mutually influence each other.

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Why is it important?

The main proposition of this study is that different social movement structures, in combination with particular forms of action, support different types of social movement goals. The article takes an organizational perspective on social movements, based on a discussion of social movement cases. The focus is on the types of relationships in social movement networks. It can inspire the reader to better understand the structural elements of social movements.