Abstract
Focusing on the interactional dynamics of movements, we find that two constructs, voice and agency are critical to the development of a sense of “groupness” and can aid social movement actors in accomplishing desired goals. Voice and agency are accomplished when movement actors engage in various processes such as planning and strategizing, completion of goal-oriented tasks and other unifying activities. We examine four social movement organizations operating in separate movement contexts with different outcomes: contested gay politics in Cincinnati, Ohio and grassroots feminism in Cleveland, Ohio and New York City, New York. We find that groups will have a better chance at achieving their goals if members are able to create a unified voice, and if leaders include and draw from the strengths of those they recruit, thus allowing a sense of agency.
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Notes
Brubaker and Cooper in their 2000 article, “Beyond Identity” argue that the term identity is overworked and conceptually murky. Instead they argue that other concepts, less ambiguous in their usage, be employed. To that end we adopt the term “groupness” as a way to clarify the process we are describing. However, we agree with Charles Tilly (2002) that the concept of identity should not be abandoned in social movement research but that scholars should continue to define and clarify its meaning.
Two of the collections are housed in the chapter offices. The other collections are located at the Western Reserve Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio, the Ohio Historical Society in Columbus, Ohio and the Archives of Public Affairs and Policy, Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York.
ERNSR came into existence once Issue 3 was placed on the ballot. Take Back Cincinnati was the organization that collected the signatures to get the initiative on the ballot. Once it accomplished this task it dissolved and transformed anew as ERNSR.
Of the Cleveland women interviewed, five identified as west side activists and five identified as east side activists. The remaining interviewees did not identify with either side of the city.
It is interesting to note that social class only arose as a factor in Cleveland NOW and did not appear significant (according to participants) in the other NOW chapter or the Cincinnati groups.
The California Civil Rights Initiative was passed by California voters in 1996 eliminating protective class statuses such as gender and race.
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Acknowledgments
We have listed our names in alphabetical order and are full co-authors. We wish to thank Mary Bernstein, Rachel Einwohner, Mara Lieberman, Margaret Martin, and Nancy Whittier.
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Kimberly Dugan is an Associate Professor at Eastern Connecticut State University and author of The Struggle over Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Rights: Facing Off in Cincinnati (Routledge). Her current research focuses on social movement activism and GLBT individual and family rights legislation.
Jo Reger is an Associate Professor of Sociology and the Director of Women's Studies at Oakland University in Michigan. She edited the book Different Wavelengths: Studies of the Contemporary Women's Movement (Routledge) and has authored several articles about the National Organization for Women and contemporary feminism. Her current research examines the continuity of U.S. feminism.
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Dugan, K., Reger, J. Voice and Agency in Social Movement Outcomes. Qual Sociol 29, 467–484 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11133-006-9036-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11133-006-9036-7