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14 - The Dilemma of Organization in Social Movement Initiatives

from Part 4 - Social Movements and Collective Action

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 July 2019

By
Mikko Laamanen ,
Sanne Bor  and
Frank den Hond
Edited by
Göran Ahrne  and
Nils Brunsson
Göran Ahrne
Affiliation:
Uppsala Universitet, Sweden
Nils Brunsson
Affiliation:
Uppsala Universitet, Sweden
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Summary

Although the question whether organisation obstructs or supports social movement claims and mobilisation has long been debated, it is undeniable that some level of organisation exists in even the most radically horizontal social movements. Relatively little attention has been paid, however, to how movements operate in dealing with the tensions associated with the question of organisation, that is, how they seek to be effective in decision-making while maintaining or advancing inclusivity and participation. This chapter presents an analysis of the organising efforts of a timebank. With a particular focus on the production of organisation, we illustrate how a group vested on the idea of horizontal, non-hierarchical collective action is dealing with the coordination and decision-making challenges they meet over time.

Keywords

authoritybureaucratizationhorizontalityoligarchizationorganizingpartial organizationprefigurationprocesssocial movementtimebank
Type
Chapter
Information
Organization outside Organizations
The Abundance of Partial Organization in Social Life
 , pp. 293 - 317
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2019

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