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When Organizational Forms Fail: Social Movement Brands and Local Movement Adoption

In this dissertation project I use the case of a local Occupy Wall Street movement to examine tensions in the local adoption of a national movement's organizational forms and
practices. Movements are often thought to be organic phenomena, yet some movements may incorporate much of their organizational framework from preexisting movements. How a local movement
incorporates or adopts a preexisting organizational form has implications for movement activities and outcomes. In the case I study—Occupy Tallahassee—the local movement emerged from the
national movement, which provided an organizational structure and loose platform for attracting participants. Having drawn from an existing organizational form, however, the local movement
did not toil with their own meaning making in developing collective identity or solidarity around how to make collective decisions. Ultimately, the group struggled to unify around shared
meanings of democracy, collective identity, and common grievances. I examine this struggle and some of the particular challenges that arise when political entrepreneurs attempt local
implementation of a national movement brand without being cognizant of local conditions around which to mobilize or build a platform. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Sociology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2015. / October 19, 2015. / collective identity, political sociology, social movements / Includes bibliographical references. / Daniel Tope, Professor Directing Dissertation; Brad T. Gomez, University Representative; Jill Quadagno, Committee Member; Irene Padavic, Committee
Member.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_291367
ContributorsKlein, Jesse (authoraut), Tope, Daniel (professor directing dissertation), Gomez, Brad T., 1970- (university representative), Quadagno, Jill S. (committee member), Padavic, Irene (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Social Sciences and Public Policy (degree granting college), Department of Sociology (degree granting department)
PublisherFlorida State University
Source SetsFlorida State University
LanguageEnglish, English
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeText, text
Format1 online resource (190 pages), computer, application/pdf

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