Micro and Meso Levels of Activism

Daniel Stockemer is an Assistant Professor in the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa, Canada. Daniel is interested in questions of political participation and representation. Among others, his work has appeared in European Union Politics, Electoral Studies and the International Political Science Review.

An interesting comparative study. Playing with the interaction of individual motives and organizational appeals, the author accounts for the diverging trajectories of the branches of Attac in Germany and France. Applying and testing a motivational model he develops a dynamical approach to protest participation. Bert Klandermans, Faculty of Social Sciences, Vrije University Amsterdam, Netherlands Why do people join, participate in, and leave social movement organizations (SMOs)? What can explain these organizations' diverse trajectories? Daniel Stockemer analyzes these theoretical issues by comparing the French and German branches of ATTAC, the influential spearhead of the alter-globalization movement. His nuanced account cogently demonstrates the value of integrating theoretical analyses of collective action with an empirical focus on the dynamics of SMOs. Mark Kesselman, Professor Emeritus of Government, Department of Politics, Columbia University, USA.

• Introduction 1. The Social Movement Scholarship: What do We Know and What is Still Unclear 2. The Alter-Globalization Movement and Attac 3. The Methods and the Interview Sample 4. The Trajectory of Attac France 5. The Trajectory of Attac Germany 6. Why, When and how Much are People Involved? Conclusion Appendix 1: The Interview and Coding Scheme for this Study The Interview Scheme The Coding Scheme Appendix 2: The Organizational Structure of Attac France Appendix 3: The Organizational Structure of Attac Germany Appendix 4: The Interviews France Germany