Mobilizing Weak Support for Social Movements: The Role of Grievance, Efficacy, and Cost

Abstract

While most studies concentrate on relatively high levels of commitment to social movements, pervasive weak support has received less attention. Ballot initiatives are one of a class of tactics which translate latent support into concrete influence. Because they are low cost mobilizations for individual supporters, such initiatives can minimize free riding, and are ideal for exploring weak support. A social psychological analysis complementary to resource mobilization theory reveals the impact and interactions of voters' social definitions, along with background factors. Levels of grievance, cost, and efficacy, along with demographic and variables predict support for a recent nuclear free zone campaign. Social movements rise or fall not just on the deeds of organizations and activists, but also on the strength of a mass base. While most of the social movement literature concentrates on actors at relatively high levels of commitment, that is, those who contribute time or money to a social movement organization (SMO), less intense support within the constituency is more pervasive and potentially as important. This paper argues that attending to the margins of social movements, to those whose attachment to movements is weak, broadens our understanding of how movements survive and grow. Weak, widespread, or low cost support can be a key factor in the ability of groups to enter the arena, and to achieve goals within it. Movements nearly always face the problem of political capital formation. This problem has two key elements: representation and resources.