Tag: sncc
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Escalate Strategically (Beautiful Trouble – Essay 1)
There is a tendency within highly cohesive political groups to want to turn up the heat. It seems to be written into the social DNA of oppositional political groups: when group members’ level of commitment increases, they want to go further. They want to be a little more hardcore. This tendency toward escalation and increased…
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#OccupyWallStreet & the Political Identity Paradox
Download this post as a printable PDF Strong group identity is essential for social movements. There can be no serious social movement—the kind that challenges the powerful and privileged—without a correspondingly serious group identity that encourages a core of members to contribute an exceptional level of commitment, sacrifice and heroics over the course of prolonged…
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The Political Identity Paradox | Evolutionary logic of collective action pt.III
Why do grassroots political organizations sometimes implode right at the peak of their success? This post examines the double-edged sword of highly cohesive political group identities and explores how to build vibrant campaigns while avoiding going (too) crazy… natural born people pleasers Imagine yourself a gazelle in a herd of gazelles. Aw snap, here comes…
Jonathan Matthew Smucker 