Protest Networks, Mobilization, and Resilience

Abstract

In this chapter we highlight key findings of research on social movements from a network’s perspective, and what these findings reveal about the growth and evolution of protest activity. We discuss how social media is used to build networks of resistance, create story frames, and mobilize protesters. We focus on the research around BLM, especially since its resilience and adeptness to shifting political and digital landscapes over the past decade – and its increasingly global spread – offers a vibrant and important case study for social movement scholars. We also consider several important emerging questions that the field must contend with in the upcoming years to better understand how movements across the political spectrum (from left to right) interact in the digital media environment, addressing several research concerns that should be at the forefront of social movement scholarship as it progresses. Overall, this chapter outlines how the analysis of digital networks has shaped our understanding of social movements, and it identifies questions and concerns that should guide future research as it analyzes (and feeds back into) dynamics of social change and resilience.