Social Networks and the Civil Rights Movement

What is it about?

Sociologists have shown that the classic civil rights movement in the South sprang from local communities whose resources were mobilized to challenge segregation. This article shows how social networks worked to facilitate and hinder mobilization. Church leaders could be rivals as well as allies and their charismatic style could require status acknowledgement rather than an immediate pooling of resources. The article illustrates this with reference to the Montgomery bus boycott.

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Photo by Anna Might on Unsplash

Photo by Anna Might on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Social capital as a concept popularized by Robert Putnam presents itself simplistically as either "bonded" in groups with strong internal identities or "bridging" between distinct groups. This article explores how the supposition that segregated African American communities were rich in bonded social capital neglects tensions within them even at times of insurgency and needs to consider how preexisting social network dynamics dictate mobilization tactics.

Perspectives