The Interplay between Demand and Supply for Engagement in Social Movement Organisations – Insights from Attac Germany and France

Abstract

This research aims to evaluate whether two types of social movement organisations (SMOs) – an organisation that has political influence and an organisation that focuses on consistent ideological frames and schemata of interpretation, attract different types of activists with different engagement patterns. Based on a comparative study of the membership of Attac Germany and France – two branches of the same organisation, which have identical goals but differ in their degree of political relevancy and ideological consistency – the research shows that, thanks to its recent policy successes, Attac Germany is mainly comprised of instrumentally-oriented members. In contrast, Attac France lacks policy successes, but offers its members a coherent ideological framework. Consequently, the membership of Attac France predominantly attracts activists with strong values and beliefs. The second part of the article also shows that the two types of activists – more instrumentally-driven and more ideology-oriented individuals – display distinct engagement patterns.