The Workshop in History, Culture, and Society (HCS) presentation by Laura Nelson, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University.

Talk Title: "The Role of Ideational and Socio-Structural Isomorphism for Social Movement Success"

Abstract: The study of social movements and collective behavior is, in large part, the study of the processes through which ideas get translated intocollective practice. Social networks have provided one empirical thread connecting these multiple processes, including resource mobilization, political opportunity structure, frame alignment, and collective identity. Networks provide resources, they create publics where ideas are adopted and debated, intellectual resources such as ideas and tactics flow through networks, and personal networks allow for recruitment and solidarity.While the majority of this research has treated networks as a conduit for resources, I argue that networks are more than another resource for social movements, but are the material reality through which ideas are translated into practice. The literature on the intersection of culture and networks suggests that isomorphism between ideational structure and social structures is one way in which ideas, structure, and practice are linked, but we do not yet fully understand the implications of this isomorphism and nonisomorphism for collective behavior. Using the women’s movement across two cities and a fifty year time period as a case study, and both network analysis and computational text analysis techniques, I explore the impact of ideational and socio-structural isomorphism and nonisomorphism on movement outcomes, finding that alignment between a movement’s ideational and social structure is necessary for movement success. I conclude with reflections on how these findings contribute to our understanding of the outcome of ideational and socio-structural isomorphism for history and culture more broadly, as well as thoughts on how computational methods provide us empirical access to these concepts.