Social Networks, Identification and Participation in an Environmental Movement: Low‐medium Cost Activism within the British Columbia Wilderness Preservation Movement*

Abstract

Cet article examine comment la structure des reseaux personnels (ou Bgocentriques) est liBe a la participation continue des individus dans un mouvement social (le British Columbia Wilderness Preservation Movement). Les resultats presentes dans ce texte suggerent que la communication, le recrutement continu et l'identification influent sur le rapport entre la structure des reseaux et le niveau de participation dans le mouvement. Differents aspects de la structure du reseau personnel ont diffbrents effets sur ces processus de mediation. Finalement, dans le contexte d'un activisme comportant des risqueslcofits faibles ou moyens, les liens faibles sont plus importants pour faciliter la participation que ne le sont les liens forts.This article examines how the structure of egocentric (or personal) networks is related to the ongoing participation of individuals in a social movement (the British Columbia Wilderness Preservation Movement). The results presented in this paper suggest that: communication, ongoing recruitment, and identification mediate the relationship between ego-network structure and level of movement participation. Different aspects of personal network structure have differential effects on these intervening processes. Finally, under conditions of low-medium riskhost activism, weak ties are more important to facilitating participation than are strong ties. SOCIAL, MOVEMENTS ARE C O L L E C T M T I E S OF PEOPLE who areengaged in trying to create or resist social change. Social movement organizations (SMOs)-organizations which are dedicated to fostering social change, and which may vary in the degree t o which they are formalized and institutionalized-are key actors in contemporary social movements * This research was supported by several fellowships and research grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. I am grateful for the advice and support provided through a range of strong and weak ties to the following people:

Collective action to save the ancient temperate rainforest: social networks and environmental activism in Clayoquot Sound

“…Past research (Tindall 2002) has suggested that weak ties may be more important for low-medium cost activism (such as measured here), while other research (McAdam 1986) suggests strong ties may be more important for explaining participation in higher risk activities (such as participation in civil disobedience and direct action).…”

“…Theoretically, we would also expect ego-network embeddedness to be associated with level of identification (Tindall 2002(Tindall , 2004. For example, greater ego-network centrality provides a greater array of alters (those whom one is tied to) with whom to make social comparisons (Gartrell 1987), and positive social comparisons with other members of the environmental movement will shape and reinforce one's own identity as an environmentalist.…”

“…Finally, all indicators were weighted based on the amount of time required for each activity, and summed. See Tindall (2002) for details regarding an earlier study. The end result is an interval-ratio measure of activism.…”

“…This was constructed from responses to a set of 20 items, about different types of participation in the environmental movement, not specific to FOCS, including things like attending a protest rally, signing a petition, writing a letter, giving a lecture to a school, attending a community meeting (the full list of items is provided in Table 1. ) These were drawn from Tindall (2002), and were subsequently refined. It should be noted that, partly for ethical reasons, the items comprised low-to medium-cost, legal activities.…”

“…Information is often diffused through informal interpersonal networks. As a result of information transmitted through interpersonal networks, people may learn about issues and events they did not know about, and become more concerned about a particular issue or become more likely to attend a particular event (Tindall 2002(Tindall , 2004. Social influence refers to instances where attitudes and behaviors are shaped by an individual's social ties (Friedkin 2006, Snijders et al 2010.…”