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Study of social movement coalitions receives growing attention from movement scholars.
This chapter reviews the literature on collaborative collective action. After providing a
definition of social movement coalitions and exploring types of movement alliances, we
organize our chapter around two research questions evident in the coalition literature.
First, which circumstances foster (or impede) coalition work? Research suggests that
shared beliefs and identities, prior social ties among activists, opportunities and threats
in the broader context, and organizational resources all play a role in coalition formation.
Second, what consequences result when movement groups pursue their goals in
collaboration with one another? Although the literature is somewhat sparse in this area,
we review studies exploring changes in activist organizations, movement mobilization,
and political outcomes as well as the influence of coalition efforts on how long-lived
coalitions themselves may be. We conclude our chapter by pointing to areas in need of
additional research.
Keywords: coalitions, alliances, allies, collaboration, cooperation, collective identity, social ties, opportunities,
threats, resources
IN most cases, social movements are amalgamations of diverse groups, often with the
same general goal, but with differences in specific agendas, identities, and strategic
orientations. Increasingly social movement scholars note this complex nature of social
movements and have begun to consider coalitions in social movements as an important
means of orchestrating joint work. While a body of scholarship on movement coalitions is
emerging, there remains additional work to be done. This chapter reviews this literature,
examines its main themes, and identifies important avenues for future research.1 After
discussing definitions of movement coalitions, we discern two foci in the research:
examinations of key facilitators of coalitions and studies of their consequences.
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Social movement coalitions can form within social movements or can emerge across
different social movements. Scholars note that a variety of movements reveal coalition
work, including the LGBT (D’Emilio 1983), women’s (Gilmore 2008); environmental
(Lichterman 1995; Murphy 2005), civil rights (Mantler 2013), and labor movements
(Williams 1999). Researchers also describe activist coalitions across social movements,
between labor and other civil society organizations (Dixon and Martin 2012; Heery,
Williams, and Abbott 2012), immigrant rights and queer movements (Luibheid and
Khokha 2001), environmental and peace groups (Beamish and Luebbers 2009), and
religious and environmental groups (Ellingson, Woodley, and Paik 2012).
Levi and Murphy (2006) add a temporal dimension, recognizing both short-lived and
longer-term coalitions. They distinguish between “event” and “enduring” alliances, with
event coalitions occurring when collaborators coordinate their actions only relatively
briefly around a specific protest event. Enduring coalitions, on the other hand, take place
when activist groups formalize a more durable cooperative relationship that often
involves joint decision-making structures and agreed-upon rules for participation. These
more permanent alliances may result in an umbrella organizational structure with its own
staff and funding to coordinate coalition work.
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addition, studies by both Van Dyke (2003) and Mix (2011) tell us that some coalitions form
around single issues, while others are more expansive, encompassing multiple concerns.
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But similar ideologies may not be a sufficient condition for coalition work. Scholarship
affirms as well that sometimes challengers may share broad goals and have awareness of
one another but still not engage in collective-action collaboration. A few studies help us
understand why. Lichterman (1995) examines grass-roots environmental groups and finds
agreement on broad environmental goals, but a “personalized” orientation with emphasis
on traditions of individualism in the white, middle-class group he studies limits
collaborations with other local environmental groups. Similarly, Roth (2010) investigates
second-wave US feminist groups and finds that a politics of “organizing one’s own”
discouraged coalitions across racial and ethnic lines. Non-collaborative ideational
orientations can override shared goals and impede collaborations. A similar avenue of
scholarship considers the breadth or particularism of group beliefs and framing efforts to
explain who coalesces. Van Dyke (2003), for instance, finds that among college-student
groups, multi-issue groups with a broader expanse of interest areas were more likely to
form alliances. Rohlinger and Quadagno (2009) similarly discover that as a politically
conservative group framed its efforts using a more “particularized world view” with a
narrower understanding of its political agenda, the group was less likely to engage in
cooperative activism. Such scholarship alerts us to the need for more attention to the
specific content of the belief systems and frames deployed by activists and how these can
influence coalitions. For instance, when are ideological differences too extreme to
overcome?
Just as prior social ties among individuals heighten chances of collective mobilization,
pre-existing relationships between groups can determine who will become coalition
partners (Van Dyke 2003). As noted, a growing body of research looks closely at how
groups with diverging views can find a path to collaborative activism. This research
fruitfully considers small group processes that occur as potential or actual coalition
partners interact and negotiate differences in order to build and strengthen ties. Beamish
and Luebbers (2009) examine cross-movement collaborations with race, class, gender,
and place diversity and outline various steps that fuel successful exchanges, identifying
both “cause affirmation” in which one group recognizes the grievances of another group,
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and “co-development of commitments” in which groups join the struggle of other groups,
both as crucial ingredients heightening solidarity. In addition, movement coalition
scholarship on social ties has begun to use advanced network analysis to examine links
among groups (Park 2008; Di Gregorio 2012).
Studies reveal that the broader political context can have an important influence on
whether activist groups form coalitions. In her seminal study, Staggenborg (1986) finds
that political opportunities, such as the repeal of anti-abortion laws, prompted pro-choice
organizations to join together to take advantage of a more receptive political
environment. But a variety of studies suggest that threats confronted by activists may be
a more pivotal influence (McCammon and Van Dyke 2010). A number of researchers
provide empirical evidence showing that threats to activist goals play an important role in
sparking coalitions (Dolgon 2001; Grossman 2001; Van Dyke 2003; Meyer and Corrigall-
Brown 2005; Dixon and Martin 2012). McCammon and Campbell (2002) study alliances
between the US woman suffrage movement and temperance activists, revealing that
when these groups face political defeats at the hands of legislators, they are more likely
to engage in joint action. Similarly, Chang (2008), in a study of the democracy movement
in South Korea, finds that government-sponsored repression heightens the likelihood of
coalition formation among democracy proponents, even as state repression lowered the
number of overall protest events.
McCammon and Campbell (2002) take the argument about threats even further,
(p. 330)
suggesting, based on their evidence, that while threats lead to alliance building, political
opportunities do little to foster coalitions. This claim is echoed by Poloni-Staudinger’s
(2009) comparison of environmental movements in Britain, France, and Germany. She
finds that open domestic political opportunity structures do not intensify environmental
coalitions, while closed structures bolster coalition activism. Like McCammon and
Campbell, Poloni-Staudinger concludes that when the political opportunity structure is
open and thus more receptive to movement demands, there is little incentive for
movement activists to seek coalition partners, and rather the costs of alliances can
outweigh the benefits. Threats, on the other hand, can encourage activists to seek new
strategies, coalition formation being one such option. della Porta’s (1995) investigation of
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Italian activists, however, reveals that closed political opportunities can fragment
movements. She finds that during such periods groups rely more heavily on ideological
incentives to mobilize participants, and this can introduce ideological conflict that stands
in the way of alliance formation.
The final chapter has not yet been written on the role of political opportunities and
threats in fostering coalition work. An important direction for future research is to
explore the conditions under which either or both may have their greatest influence. For
instance, Obach (2010) reports that provisions in tax laws may encourage some groups to
collaborate while discouraging other organizations from joint action. Additionally, as
Staggenborg (1986) and Diani (1995) suggest, it may be that both political opportunities
and threats can matter simultaneously. Moreover, the degree of political openness or
closure may have ramifications for alliances, with highly open or extremely closed arenas
derailing coalition work, albeit for different reasons. A recent study by Kadivar (2013)
indicates an important avenue for additional research. Kadivar investigates alliances
during the Iranian reform movement and examines activist perceptions of opportunities
and threats as they make decisions about coalition formation. Using the concept of
“perception profiles,” Kadivar disaggregates distinct dimensions of the political
landscape and the ways in which perceptions about these political dimensions can lead to
or hinder activist alliances. At this juncture, we know little about the perceptions and
incentives that encourage activist coalitions.
Resources
As resource mobilization theorists (McCarthy and Zald 1977) convey, activists are
unlikely to mobilize without critical resources to support their efforts. Research suggests
that a similar dynamic governs coalition work: group collaboration is more likely when
resources are plentiful (Van Dyke 2003; Cornfield and Canak 2007) and when the sources
of partner groups’ funding are distinct and non-competitive (Hathaway and Meyer 1993).
Barkan’s (1986) study of the US civil rights movement supports these assertions. He finds
that rivalries among civil rights organizations over scarce funding (p. 331) hindered the
ability of these groups to coalesce. Diaz-Veizades and Chang (1996), in fact, find that
when resources decline, coalitions are likely to dissolve.
But as Hathaway and Meyer (1993) point out, available resources are likely to be shaped
by circumstances in the larger political environment. A crisis or threat may provide an
influx of new resources to activists, such as occurred in the 1980s nuclear freeze
movement. This, in turn, can heighten levels of coalition work. Broader circumstances
driving resource levels and their impact on coalitions are not well understood. Moreover,
we know little about which resources are crucial to coalition formation. Our review
suggests that the role of resources is an understudied area generally in coalition studies
and one warranting substantial further investigation.
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An important direction for future study of the circumstances producing social movement
coalitions is consideration of conjunctural causality (Borland 2010; McCammon and Van
Dyke 2010). While we have discussed the individual influence of a variety of factors, many
of these circumstances combine to foster movement coalitions. For example, as
Staggenborg (1986) suggests, when activist groups share members, overlapping
constituents can help overcome ideological differences to smooth a path for activist
partnerships. Additionally, McCammon and Van Dyke (2010) in a meta-analysis observe
that the most fertile ground for coalition activity appears to be the combination of shared
beliefs and plentiful resources. Additionally, the way in which threats interact with other
conditions to foster coalitions calls for more attention; for instance, at what level of threat
can ideological differences or lack of resources be ignored and coalitions occur?
Understanding more fully such conjunctural causality is a necessary next step for future
research.
Consequences of Coalitions
While numerous studies consider the circumstances fostering coalition work, fewer
examine the consequences coalitions produce. This remains an understudied area with a
need for closer scrutiny (Staggenborg 2010). Among existing studies, we identify various
types of outcomes that social movement coalitions have influenced: organizational
change, movement mobilization, political outcomes, and survival of coalitions.
Organizational Change
Movement alliances can generate consequences for the member organizations within
coalitions. As Lee (2011) and Mix (2011) show, one important organizational (p. 332)
consequence is that coalitions can provide member organizations with resources and
further network-building opportunities, which may, in turn, enhance their organizational
stability. Collaborations also can affect organizations’ deployment of tactics, ranging from
tactical diffusion (Wang and Soule 2012) to tactical innovation (Meyer and Whittier 1994).
Organizational framing can also be influenced. Croteau and Hicks (2003) and Luna (2010)
document shifts in framing strategies as a result of alliance work, often when one group
realigns its frames to better mesh with a coalition partner. These organizational
influences are not surprising, given that coalition partners often closely interact,
predisposing them to learn from one another. Meyer and Whittier (1994) show that
coalition efforts between the US women’s and peace movements in the 1980s resulted in
a spillover of feminist frames and tactics into peace organizations.
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A coalition not only affects the collaborating organizations; it can also influence the
formation of new social movement groups, but the direction of the effect is not yet
certain. In her study of the global environmental movement, Murphy (2005) finds that an
increased number of coalitions limit access to resources generally, reducing founding
rates of new, non-coalition organizations. On the other hand, in the Korean democracy
movement, coalition activism helped found a new social movement organization, a large
labor group during the democratization period (Lee 2011). Understanding the
organizational consequences of movement coalitions is clearly an area in need of further
examination.
Movement Mobilization
Coalitions can fuel social movement mobilization more generally, including the number of
individual participants in a specific protest event and the overall scale of an ongoing
campaign. Gerhards and Rucht (1992) examine two distinct protest campaigns in
late-1980s West Germany and find that coalition structures bolstered the size of specific
protests, turning them into large-scale events. Luna (2010) draws a similar conclusion,
finding that March for Women’s Lives, a 2004 march in support of reproductive justice,
grew in size because of coalition participation. But while the mobilization goal of
coalitions is often enhanced, not every attempt ends in success. Jones and his colleagues
(2001) suggest some coalitions are more effective than others in recruiting large numbers
of protest participants. They find that the most effective form is “network invocation.”
This occurs when a single movement organization leads the planning and decision making
while drawing on other organizations to assist.
allies into the mobilization, which ultimately was crucial to the success of the anti-
corporate campaign. This may be another case where the causal influence varies
depending on broader circumstances, conjunctural circumstances not yet being well
understood by researchers.
Political Outcomes
Scholarly study provides evidence that coalitions can produce a third type of outcome:
political results, such as legislative or policy changes. But the findings are not yet
conclusive. Some scholars show the significance of coalition work for such political
successes, while others argue that coalitions alone cannot achieve a political victory.
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Various strains of research provide clues that may help us understand such divergent
findings. Banaszak (1996) and Crawhall (2011) indicate that large coalitions
encompassing a substantial number of groups increase the likelihood of a positive
political outcome, although others suggest size may not matter (Joyner 1982; Knoke
1990). Dixon and colleagues (2013) as well ask what shapes coalition political success.
They find that different political outcomes in two labor coalitions can be attributed in part
to coalition “fit,” where fit refers to collaborations between labor and non-labor
organizations with mutual trust, a shared sense of commitment, and common objectives.
Where such fit occurred, the coalition was more successful. A study by Arnold (2011) also
indicates the importance of trust, shared knowledge, and the ability to jointly problem
solve as key for politically successful coalitions. Haydu (2012) finds, however, that when
coalition members’ core objectives differ from one another, frame brokers were critical in
that they played an important role in introducing new tactics to the coalition which
eventually helped to win passage of important federal legislation. Researchers studying
the political outcomes of coalitions are beginning to understand when such partnerships
may succeed, but additional research will bring a more definitive understanding.
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coalitions (Hathaway and Meyer 1993; Krinsky and Reese 2006). Moreover, Guenther
(2010) finds that weak coalitions, in which organizations are loosely connected to one
another with low demand for ideological unity, contributed to the durability of trans-
regional feminist alliances in East Germany. In his study of coalitions between labor and
environmental groups, Mayer (2008) demonstrates that developing a joint identity within
blue–green coalitions was an important factor for their long-lasting collaboration.
The study of social movement coalitions is a vibrant area of research, but one still in need
of additional scholarship. For instance, researchers often do not consider that coalition
types vary, for instance, in terms of duration, extent, size, and formalization. It may well
be that different types have different antecedents and consequences. As this chapter
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shows, we have learned much thus far about alliances among movement groups, but
study of movement coalitions is also an area ripe for additional scholarly attention.
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Notes:
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(1.) We thank Mario Diani and Donatella della Porta for helpful comments on an earlier
draft of our chapter.
(2.) Here we focus on coalitions in social movements, acknowledging that coalitions occur
in other domains as well, for instance, in party politics and military campaigns (see, e.g.,
Kreps 2011). See Diani and Bison (2004) for a discussion of types of coalitions.
Holly J. McCammon
Minyoung Moon
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