Network social capital as an outcome of social movement mobilization: Using the position generator as an indicator of social network diversity

• Published in: Social networks 2012-10, Vol.34 (4), p.387-395
• Main Authors: Tindall, D.B., Cormier, Jeffrey, Diani, Mario
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Activism; Cultural Capital; Cultural Pluralism; Environmental activism; Environmental movement; Environmental Movements; Environmentalism; Mobilization; Network diversity; Outcomes of social movements; Position generator; Social capital; Social Mobility; Social Movements; Social Networks
• ISSN: 0378-8733; 1879-2111
• DOI: 10.1016/j.socnet.2011.12.007

► We conduct a survey of environmental social movement organization members. ► We use the position generator in our survey. ► We find a positive relationship between level of activism and diversity of occupational ties to other environmentalists. ► We argue that this is a social capital outcome of mobilization. In the social mobility literature, the position generator (PG) has been used to examine the relationship between the structural location of individuals, and outcomes such as obtaining a high status job. Diversity of occupational ties (as measured by the PG) is also a significant predictor of an individual's cultural capital. A great deal of work has also been done in the field of social movements examining the relationship between networks and mobilization. However, only limited attention has been given to the position generator in this literature. Also, while past research has demonstrated that prior network ties to activists is one of the most important predictors of current activism, relatively little research has been devoted to examining network structure as an outcome of activism. The present paper builds upon these insights by utilizing data collected with the position generator on a sample of environmental movement members, and examining the relationship between individual activism (as an independent variable) and diversity of occupational ties (as a dependent variable). The result of key theoretical significance is that those who are more active in the environmental movement develop a greater diversity of occupational ties to other environmentalists. Results suggest that this process occurs over time. These findings provide evidence that social capital (as indicated by network diversity) is one outcome of social movement mobilization.