Lee Collective Action

Chapter 9: Collective Action and Social Movements

by Charlotte Lee, Ph.D.

9.1: What is collective action? What are social movements?

Characteristics of Public Goods

• Public Goods: Defined as goods and services provided by the state; they are

  • Nonexcludable: Nobody can be excluded from enjoying them.

  • Nonrival: One person's enjoyment does not diminish another's enjoyment.

• Example: A lighthouse is a public good, as all ships can benefit from its light without limiting access to others.

Common Pool Resources

• Common Pool Resources: Goods that are nonexcludable but rivalrous, such as rivers, fisheries, and grazing lands. One individual's use can diminish another's.

Collective Action in the Private Sector

• Collective action is also prevalent in the private sector where industry groups lobby for tax breaks or reduce regulatory oversight.

Example: Voting as Collective Action

• Voting, especially in large electorates, constitutes collective action where individuals may hesitate to vote due to perceived lack of impact, illustrating a breakdown in collective action.

Historical Importance

• Collective action can lead to significant social change or revolutions, influenced by factors like political opportunity and organization.

9.2: Frameworks for Collective Action

Learning Objectives

By the end of this section, you will be able to:

• Evaluate the logic of collective action and challenges to cooperation

• Analyze the different factors that can facilitate collective action

9.2.1: The Logic of Collective Action

• As defined by Mancur Olson in The Logic of Collective Action (1965),

  • Collective action failures are common as rational individuals may avoid contributing towards collective goods, hoping to benefit from others' efforts - Free Rider Problem.

• Example: Reducing carbon footprints individually may not seem beneficial when others do not change their behaviors, compelling individual inaction due to the thought that personal sacrifice doesn't matter.

Prisoner's Dilemma Illustration

• The Prisoner's Dilemma demonstrates cooperation challenges, where individuals choosing to betray leads to suboptimal outcomes for the group.

• Each child in the cookie theft scenario must decide to cooperate by staying silent or betray for individual gain, highlighting the potential for lost opportunities through non-cooperation.

Expected Outcome

• The anticipated outcome of non-cooperative behavior is often mutual betrayal leading to worse outcomes for all, an analogy that reflects social cooperation issues in broader contexts like climate change.

Real-World Application

• In repeated interactions, cooperative strategies can evolve, contrasting the singular decision-making highlighted in the initial dilemma scenario, as seen across various social and political environments.

9.2.2: Factors Promoting Collective Action

• While Olson's arguments highlight barriers, they also affirm that collective action is feasible with sufficient organization, often within smaller, focused groups where the potential for individual benefit is greater.

• Elinor Ostrom's Observations: Smaller unifying groups like gangs, charities, etc. can successfully organize collective action.

• Conditions that enhance collective action include:

  • Competent leadership

  • Familiarity among participants which enhances accountability

  • The perception of broader participation encourages individuals to become involved.

9.3: A Framework for Explaining Social Movements

The Importance of Collective Action in Social Movements

• Modern social movements encompass diverse aims, such as climate change activism or women’s rights, advocating for collective goals through shared actions outside traditional political institutions.

Framework for Understanding Social Movements

• The study of social movements employs an interdisciplinary approach, evaluating:

  1. Political Opportunity

  2. Organization and Mobilization

  3. Framing

9.3.1: Political Opportunity

• Victor Hugo's assertion underscores that social movements thrive when external conditions align with their ideas.

• A receptive political context enhances the likelihood of a social movement's success.

• Examples:

  • Climate change advocacy correlating with political discourse on environmental issues.

  • The movement for gay rights advanced during visible political support from elected officials.

9.3.2: Organization and Mobilization

• Strong organizational frameworks, akin to the vanguard party in instigating revolutions, facilitate social movement efficacy.

• Successful civil rights movements utilized organized infrastructures for mobilization.

• Douglas McAdam's Research: Organizations like Black churches and the NAACP were key in empowering the Civil Rights Movement through effective resource pooling and communication.

• Modern movements like Black Lives Matter exhibit decentralized structures that adapt to local contexts, enhancing responsiveness but possibly risking cohesive momentum due to lack of unifying leadership.

9.3.3: Framing

• Framing shapes how issues resonate with a social movement’s members or broader society, leveraging emotional engagement to mobilize support.

• Powerful frames can significantly influence the trajectory and public perception of movements, as seen in the environmental movement through impactful narratives and literature like Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring.

9.3.4: International Influences

• Global interconnections facilitate the diffusion of movement strategies and causes across borders, as seen in global responses to deforestation.

• Diffusion Defined: The spread of ideas and resources internationally supporting shared causes.

9.3.5: The Role of Nonviolence

• Empirical research indicates that nonviolent movements have significantly higher success rates compared to violent campaigns.

• Nonviolence as a tactic allows movements to cultivate legitimacy, attract wider support, and limit backlash from authorities.

9.4: Comparative Case Study - Workers’ Movements in Poland and China

9.4.1: Solidarity in Poland

• Poland transitioned to a democratic state from 1952 to 1989 under communist rule.

• Labor unrest initiated in 1970 escalated with significant protests following a pivotal labor strike in Gdańsk in 1980 due to the dismissal of worker Anna Walentynowicz.

• Solidarity emerged as a labor movement challenging state control, successfully bargaining for unprecedented concessions from the government, marking a time of political opportunity matched with deteriorating economic conditions.

Key Characteristics of Solidarity

• Solidarity became a substantial social movement, peaking with membership of approximately 80% of state employees.

• The movement employed a wide array of non-violent tactics including protests, cultural expressions, and extensive media outreach.

• The framing of the Solidarity movement focused on human rights, resonating globally with moral support, especially from influential figures like Pope John Paul II.

9.4.2: Fragmented Labor in China

• Under the Chinese Communist Party since 1949, labor rights have traditionally been restricted.

• Economic reforms initiated in 1978 transformed the workforce landscape, creating instability and unrest among workers amidst economic growth.

• Workers organized local protests, especially notably during labor unrest between 2008-2012 advocating for workplace rights under the newly established Labor Contract Law.

Key Differences from Poland

• The labor movement in China lacks cohesive organization corresponding to Solidarity, existing instead within a state-controlled broader framework effectively limiting labor activism.

• Workers framed their protests through legalistic appeals for entitlements, highlighting the ingrained cultural context of legalism in Chinese governance.

9.4.3: Comparative Analysis

• Analysis shows that political opportunity and organizational frameworks are pivotal for social movement outcomes, with Solidarity successfully leveraging waning support from the communist regime in Poland.

• In contrast, China’s political environment maintains flexibility to suppress organized labor movements, resulting in decentralized protests without systemic impact.

Key Terms/Glossary

• Collective action: Activity where coordination by and across individuals aims to achieve a common goal.

• Common pool resource: Nonexcludable and rivalrous goods.

• Cooperation game: Scenario showcasing individual incentives to cooperate or not in pursuing common objectives.

• Diffusion: Spread of an idea or movement across borders.

• Framing: Strategic representation of an issue to resonate with audiences.

• Free rider problem: Benefitting from others' efforts without contributing.

• Information and communication technologies (ICT): Means of communication facilitating social movements.

• Social movement: Collective action outside of political institutions aimed at change.

• Structure: Contextual social forces influencing choices of individuals or groups.

Summary

• Collective action and social movements arise from coordination towards shared goals, significantly influencing political and social landscapes.

• Successful social movements require careful navigation of political opportunities, robust organization, and effective framing of issues, often aided by international support and an emphasis on nonviolent strategies.