Two Logics of Collective Action: Theoretical Notes on Social Class and Organizational Form–*
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Beyond Social Democracy in West Germany?
BEYOND SOCIAL DEMOCRACY IN WEST GERMANY? William Graf I The theme of transcending, bypassing, revising, reinvigorating or otherwise raising German Social Democracy to a higher level recurs throughout the party's century-and-a-quarter history. Figures such as Luxemburg, Hilferding, Liebknecht-as well as Lassalle, Kautsky and Bernstein-recall prolonged, intensive intra-party debates about the desirable relationship between the party and the capitalist state, the sources of its mass support, and the strategy and tactics best suited to accomplishing socialism. Although the post-1945 SPD has in many ways replicated these controversies surrounding the limits and prospects of Social Democracy, it has not reproduced the Left-Right dimension, the fundamental lines of political discourse that characterised the party before 1933 and indeed, in exile or underground during the Third Reich. The crucial difference between then and now is that during the Second Reich and Weimar Republic, any significant shift to the right on the part of the SPD leader- ship,' such as the parliamentary party's approval of war credits in 1914, its truck under Ebert with the reactionary forces, its periodic lapses into 'parliamentary opportunism' or the right rump's acceptance of Hitler's Enabling Law in 1933, would be countered and challenged at every step by the Left. The success of the USPD, the rise of the Spartacus move- ment, and the consistent increase in the KPD's mass following throughout the Weimar era were all concrete and determined reactions to deficiences or revisions in Social Democratic praxis. Since 1945, however, the dynamics of Social Democracy have changed considerably. -
Collective Action and the Evolution of Social Norm Internalization Sergey Gavriletsa,B,C,1 and Peter J
Collective action and the evolution of social norm internalization Sergey Gavriletsa,b,c,1 and Peter J. Richersond aDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996; bDepartment of Mathematics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996; cNational Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996; and dDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 Edited by Simon A. Levin, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved May 4, 2017 (received for review March 7, 2017) Human behavior is strongly affected by culturally transmitted processing, and decision making (11) and the costs of monitor- norms and values. Certain norms are internalized (i.e., acting ing, punishments, or conditional rewards that would otherwise be according to a norm becomes an end in itself rather than merely necessary to ensure cooperation (9, 14). Internalization of norms a tool in achieving certain goals or avoiding social sanctions). allows individuals and groups to adjust their utility functions Humans’ capacity to internalize norms likely evolved in our ances- in situations with a rapidly changing environment when genetic tors to simplify solving certain challenges—including social ones. mechanisms would be too slow to react (9). A society’s values are Here we study theoretically the evolutionary origins of the capac- transmitted through the internalization of norms (15), with some ity to internalize norms. In our models, individuals can choose societies being more successful than others due to their norms to participate in collective actions as well as punish free rid- and institutions (16). The presence of both costs and benefits of ers. -
Gründungsaufruf Des Kuratoriums Für Einen Demokratisch Verfassten Bund Der Länder
Am 16. Juni 1990 hat sich im Reichstag, Berlin, Das Kuratorium ist ein Forum für eine breite das KURATORIUM FÜR EINEN DEMOKRA- öffentliche Verfassungsdiskussion, eine TISCH VERFASSTEN BUND DEUTSCHER LÄN- Verfassunggebende Versammlung und für DER gegründet und folgenden Gründungsauf- eine gesamtdeutsche Verfassung mit Volks- ruf verabschiedet: entscheid. Um diesen Forderungen Nach- „Das KURATORIUM FÜR EINEN DEMOKRA- druck zu verleihen, führen wir eine Unter- TISCH VERFASSTEN BUND DEUTSCHER LÄN- schriftensammlung durch und rufen auf, DER hat sich gebildet, um eine breite öffentliche Ver- sich daran aktiv zu beteiligen. fassungsdiskussion zu fördern, deren Ergebnisse in eine Verfassunggebende Versammlung einmünden sol- „Ich will, daß die Menschen in der B R D und in der len. Auf der Basis des Grundgesetzes für die Bundes- D D R ihr politisches Zusammenleben selbst gestalten republik Deutschland, unter Wahrung der in ihm ent- und darüber in einer Volksabstimmung entscheiden haltenen Grundrechte und unter Berücksichtigung können. Die wichtigsten Weichenstellungen für die des Verfassungsentwurfs des Runden Tisches für die neue deutsche Republik dürfen nicht über die Köpfe DDR, soll eine neue gesamtdeutsche Verfassung aus- der Menschen hinweg getroffen werden. gearbeitet werden. Wir setzen uns dafür ein, daß die Deshalb muß unter Beteiligung der Bürgerinnen und Einberufung einer Verfassunggebenden Versammlung Bürger eine Verfassung ausgearbeitet und ,von dem zwischen der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und der deutschen Volke in freier Entscheidung beschlossen' Deutschen Demokratischen Republik verbindlich werden (Art. 146 GG). Diese Verfassung darf nicht festgeschrieben und die neue gesamtdeutsche Verfas- hinter das Grundgesetz der Bunderepublik Deutsch- sung von den Bürgerinnen und Bürgern durch Volks- land zurückfallen. Sie bietet vielmehr die Chance, entscheid angenommen wird." (verabschiedet auf der den hinzugekommenen Aufgaben entsprechend, die Gründungssitzung des Kuratoriums am 16. -
1 Claus Offe Crisis and Innovation of Liberal Democracy: Can Deliberation
Claus Offe Crisis and innovation of liberal democracy: Can deliberation be institutionalized? Liberal democracies, and by far not just the new ones among them, are not functioning well. While there is no realistic and normatively respectable alternative to liberal democracy in sight, the widely observed decline of democratic politics, as well as state policies under democracy, provides reasons for concern. This concern is a challenge for sociologically informed political theorists to come up with designs for remedial innovations of liberal democracy. In this essay, I am going to review institutional designs for democratic innovation. I shall proceed as follows. The first section addresses the question of the functions of liberal democracy. What are the fea- tures and expected outcomes of democracy which explain why liberal democracy is so widely considered today to be the most desirable form of political rule? The second section looks at the institutional structure and the constitutive mechanisms of democratic regimes. In either of these sections four relevant items are specified and discussed. Thirdly, I shall provide a very con- densed summary of critical accounts concerning democracy's actual failures and symptoms of malfunctioning. In a final section, I distinguish two families of institutional innovations that are currently being proposed as remedies for some of the observed deficiencies of democracy, with an emphasis on "deliberative" methods of political preference formation. (1) Four functional virtues of liberal democracy 1 The question is not often asked, as its answer appears quite obvious: What is democracy good for? In fact, there are several answers, corresponding to different schools of political theory. -
Transient Solidarities: Commitment and Collective Action in Post-Industrial Societies Charles Heckscher and John Mccarthy
bs_bs_banner British Journal of Industrial Relations doi: 10.1111/bjir.12084 52:4 December 2014 0007–1080 pp. 627–657 Transient Solidarities: Commitment and Collective Action in Post-Industrial Societies Charles Heckscher and John McCarthy Abstract Solidarity has long been considered essential to labour, but many fear that it has declined. There has been relatively little scholarly investigation of it because of both theoretical and empirical difficulties. This article argues that solidarity has not declined but has changed in form, which has an impact on what kinds of mobilization are effective. We first develop a theory of solidarity general enough to compare different forms. We then trace the evolution of solidarity through craft and industrial versions, to the emergence of collaborative solidarity from the increasingly fluid ‘friending’ relations of recent decades. Finally, we examine the question of whether these new solidarities can be mobilized into effective collective action, and suggest mechanisms, rather different from tra- ditional union mobilizations, that have shown some power in drawing on friending relations: the development of member platforms, the use of purposive campaigns and the co-ordination of ‘swarming’ actions. In the best cases, these can create collective actions that make a virtue of diversity, openness and participative engagement, by co-ordinating groups with different foci and skills. 1. Introduction In the last 30 years, there is every evidence that labour solidarity has weak- ened across the industrialized world. Strikes have widely declined, while the most effective recent movements have been fundamentalist and restrictive — turning back to traditional values and texts, narrowing the range of inclusion. -
The Neighborhood As a Social Structure for Collective Action
THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A SOCIAL STRUCTURE FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION: THE ROLE OF BONDING SOCIAL CAPITAL, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND NEIGHBORHOOD RACIAL HOMOGENEITY By Charles Collins A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Psychology – Doctor of Philosophy 2013 ABSTRACT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A SOCIAL STRUCTURE FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION: THE ROLE OF BONDING SOCIAL CAPITAL, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND NEIGHBORHOOD RACIAL HOMOGENEITY By Charles Collins Collective action is a process by which individuals linked by a common goal engage in cooperative activities in order to affect socio-political change. Collective action takes a variety of forms including protests, sit-ins, and marches, and can address a wide swath of social justice issues. However, research on the mechanisms by which collective action takes place is still developing. Utilizing a national sample of urban neighborhood residents within seven cities, this dissertation is comprised of two related studies investigating the role that civic engagement, bonding social capital, and neighborhood homogeneity play in influencing collective action. Using path analysis, Study 1 investigates the mediating role of bonding social capital in the relationship between civic engagement and collective action. Study 2 utilized multilevel modeling (MLM) and includes a neighborhood level indicator – neighborhood racial homogeneity – to understand the relationship between individual level bonding social capital and collective action. Overall, the results reveal a complex relationship between civic engagement, bonding social capital, and neighborhood homogeneity on the outcome variable of collective action. Study 1 found that collective action was directly related to both bonding social capital and civic engagement, but that bonding social capital partially mediated the relationship between civic engagement and collective action. -
Solving the EU's Democratic Deficit Would Help Revive Democracy at the National Level
Solving the EU’s democratic deficit would help revive democracy at the national level blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/2014/12/16/solving-the-eus-democratic-deficit-would-help-revive-democracy-at-the- national-level/ 16/12/2014 The European Union has often been accused of having a ‘democratic deficit’, but what measures would actually improve EU democracy? William Outhwaite writes on theoretical models of democracy and how they might be applied to EU politics. He notes that while the democratic problems associated with the EU policy process are very real, strong leadership from within the EU’s institutions could help bring about a revival of democracy at both the national and European levels. To paraphrase Jean-Jacques Rousseau, the EU is born free yet is everywhere in chains. Its member states have by law to be democratic (Hungary is currently pushing this particular envelope), but there is a discussion of principle about whether the Union itself needs democracy which it would be hard (and disturbing) to find in any member state. This uncertainty exists among both experts and the public. Citizens are prone to feel decisions ought to be made at the national level, while criticising the EU for its lack of democracy. Europe’s ‘democratic deficit’ The ‘democratic deficit’ in the EU has been a topic since the 1980s; a good source of an explanation is the ‘ gridlock’ model, in which an initially successful organisational model becomes an obstacle to further change. The tension between the Council, made up of (often, though not always, elected) politicians from member states on the one hand and the directly elected Parliament on the other is a structural feature of the EU; so is the tension between its formal decision-making structures and intergovernmental deals between (usually the larger) member states. -
Strengthening Democracy in Uncertain Times
CONFERENCE PROGRAM — STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES 21ST FORUM 2000 CONFERENCE | 8—10 October 2017 | Prague and other cities www.forum2000.cz | #forum2000 SIDE EFFECTS: FAILURE TO USE THIS PRODUCT INCREASES THE RISK THAT SOMEONE ELSE WILL MISUSE IT. WARNING: IMPROPER HANDLING OF FREE ELECTIONS WILL CAUSE DETERIORATION OF DEMOCRACY. THIS PRODUCT IS SENSITIVE TO POPULISM. PLEASE KEEP IT OUT OF THE REACH OF IRRESPONSIBLE INDIVIDUALS. STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY IN UNCERTAIN TIMES 21ST FORUM 2000 CONFERENCE | 8–10 October 2017 | Prague and other cities www.forum2000.cz | #forum2000 2 Conference App: #forum2000 3 SUNDAY — OCTOBER 8 4 11.00—12.30 Discussion (Faculty of Law, Charles University) d EN CHANGING INTERNATIONAL ORDER AND THE FUTURE OF OUR PLANET Opening remarks Prince Albert II of Monaco — Head of State, Monaco Remarks Karel Schwarzenberg — Chairman, Committee on Foreign Affairs, Chamber of Deputies, Parliament, Czech Republic t Mohamed Nasheed — Former President, Human Rights and Environmental Activist, Maldives Moderator Bedřich Moldan — Director, Environment Center, Charles University, Czech Republic 16.00—17.30 Panel (Embassy of Germany) d EN THE CHALLENGES OF THE TRANSATLANTIC RELATIONS AND THE IMPACT ON DEMOCRACY In cooperation with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. By special invitation only. Welcome Guido Müntel — Spokesperson, German Embassy in Prague, Germany Panel discussion Claus Offe — Political Sociologist, Hertie School of Governance, Germany t Thomas Carothers — Senior Vice President for Studies, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, USA t Yascha Mounk — Political Scientist, Harvard University, Germany t Karl-Heinz Paqué — Vice President, Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Germany Moderator Pavel Fischer — Director, STEM, Member, Program Council, Forum 2000 Foundation, Czech Republic 19.00—21.00 Ceremony and Reception (Prague Crossroads) d EN OPENING CEREMONY By special invitation only. -
Collective Political Action a Research Program and Some of Its Results*
Analyse & Kritik 23/2001 (©Lucius & Lucius, Stuttgart) S. 1-20 Karl-Dieter Opp Collective Political Action A Research Program and Some of Its Results* Abstract: This paper describes a research program that focuses on the explanation of political protest and its causes. The starting point is Mancur Olson's theory of collective action. This theory is modified, extended and applied to explain political protest. In particular, it is argued that only a wide version of Rational Choice theory that includes 'soft' incentives as well as misperception is capable of providing valid ex planations of protest behavior. Another part of the research program is the utilization of survey research to test the predictions about protest behavior that are generated from the wide version of Rational Choice theory. The research program further aims at (a) comparing empirically Rational Choice and alternative propositions, (b) providing micro-macro explanatory models, (c) dynamic theoretical models, and (d) explaining preferences and beliefs which are usually treated as exogenous variables. The paper further reports, some results of the research program. 1. Introduction Mancur Olson's theory of collective action advanced in his book The Logic of Collective Action (1965) is among the few testable theories with high explana tory power in the social sciences that has generated a vast number of empirical as well as theoretical research over decades. Although the theory is still debated the following general assessment will be shared by many social scientists: " ... since the publication of Man cur Olson's book there has been a whole series of advances in our understanding of collective action, a cumulative progress rare in the social • I gratefully acknowledge support 'Of the research reported in this paper by the two major German institutions devoted to advancement of scientific research. -
FJNSB 2005 2.Pdf
Inhalt Forschungsjournal NSB, Jg. 18, 2/2005 1 EDITORIAL PULSSCHLAG .................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................... 2 Strategisches Niemandsland 98 Helmut Martens Institution und soziale Bewegung: Strategi- AKTUELLE ANALYSE .................................................................................................................................... sche Herausforderung der Gewerkschaften 5 Gerd Mielke 105 Silke Brauers Auf der Suche nach der Gerechtigkeit Erfahrungswissen Älterer hoch im Kurs – Anmerkungen zur Programmdiskussion der ein internationaler Vergleich SPD in einer Zeit der Identitätskrise 110 Konstantin von Normann THEMENSCHWERPUNKT .................................................................................................................................... Die Evolution der Deutschen Tafeln 18 Rudolf Speth / Thomas Leif Eine Studie über eine junge Nonprofit- Thesen zum Workshop Organisation ,Strategiebildung und Strategieblockaden‘ 116 Marius Haberland 20 Rudolf Speth Protest und Vernetzung am Beispiel der Strategiebildung in der Politik ‚Initiative Berliner Sozialforum‘ 38 Andrea Nahles TREIBGUT Der Strategiebildungsprozess der SPD .................................................................................................................................... 121 Materialien, Notizen, Hinweise -
7 the Theory of Action Reclaimed
7 The Theory of Action Reclaimed Quid leges sine moribus vanae proficient? [Of what use are laws without morals?] Horace C: If you could converse with Talcott Parsons today, what would you say? HG: I would explain succinctly his only serious mis- take and suggest a way to correct this mistake. C: Would he agree? HG: In my dreams. Choreographer interview The analytical core for sociological theory proposed in the previous chap- ter includes a rational actor model inspired by Talcott Parsons’ voluntaristic theory of action (1937). My elaboration of this model, however, followed a differentpath from that taken by Parsons in his later work, which wandered away from the microfoundations of human behavior into the dusty realm of structural-functionalism. Big mistake. This chapter explains where and speculates why Parsons went wrong. Briefly, between writing The Structure of Social Action in 1937 and the publication of The Social System and Toward a General Theory of Action in 1951, Parsons abandoned the stress on individual efficacy of his early work (e.g., in his critique of positivism and behaviorism) in favor of treating the individual as the effect of socialization that when successful produces social order, and when unsuccessful produces social pathology. In The Structure of Social Action, Parsons mentions the term “socialization” only once, writing (pp. 400–401): Ultimate values of the individualmembers of the same commu- nity must be, to a significant degree, integrated into a system common to these members...not only moral attitudes but even the logical thought on which morality depends only develop as an aspect of the process of socialization of the child. -
Technobureaucratic Capitalism
Luiz Carlos Bresser-Pereira TECHNOBUREAUCRATIC CAPITALISM São Paulo, 1990 2004 Introductory Note This book began with the translation, by Marcia Van Dyke, of my book A Sociedade Estatal e a Tecnoburocracia (São Paulo, Editora Brasiliense, 1981). A first version of it was submitted in 1983 to Cambridge University Press. After several months, the editor showed interest in the publication of the book, provided that I introduced major changes. Yet, in the meantime, I was called to political life, and was unable to make the required changes. In December 1987 I returned to academic life, and, after some time, reworked the originals, introducing the initial discussion of the state, and revising several parts, so as to become an integrated book instead of a collection of essays. This 1990 version was sent back to Cambridge University Press, but at that time they had lost the interest. This version was completed in mid 1990, when the collapse of Soviet Union was under way. It already acknowledged the breakdown of communism, but the disinterest of the publishing house let clear to me that more changes were required if I really wanted to publish the book in English. For years the ‘manuscript’ remained in my archives in digital form. Finally, in 2004, when I returned to the theme of this book by writing the paper “The Strategic Factor of Production in Technicians’ Capitalism” to be presented to the ‘John Kenneth Galbraith International Symposium’, to be held in Paris, September 23-25, I ‘rediscovered’ Technobureaucratic Capitalism. Since I have no short term plan of reworking the book¸ I decided to publish it in my web page in the original form.