Mobilization Networks and the Outcomes of Neighborhood Protests in Ankara

Abstract

This study aims to understand how the structure of mobilization networks relates to the outcomes of collective action by using 17 cases of neighborhood protests in Ankara between 2007-2011. Based on police records and on site interviews, the findings of the study suggest that successful outcomes depend on two mobilization structure related processes; the first one facilitates the efficient flow of information for coordination purposes, while the second increases the tendency of participants to use high-risk disruptive tactics due to the prevalence of strong ties amongst the protagonists. This paper also considers, to some extent, the antecedents of these structures, and shows that they originate from two sources that very much depend on each other: the spatial configuration of the neighborhood in question and pre-existing informal social ties.

Keywords

• social networks
• mobilization networks
• collective action
• local protests
• ankara