This document outlines a research study comparing the outcomes of the Spanish Indignados and Occupy Wall Street movements. It proposes a new framework for analyzing the political, cultural, and social impacts of networked social movements in the information age. This framework evaluates how movements' goals and values change over time, their cultural influence on civil society through online and offline support, and their impact on decision-making processes, institutions, and the political system. The study will use netnography, discourse analysis of movement materials, and interviews with activists to apply this framework to the Indignados and Occupy Wall Street cases.

1. Social movement outcomes in
the information age:
Spain and the US in
comparative perspective
claudia.Ferreira.2015@live.rhul.ac.uk
@ctmferreira

2. Presentation Outline
1. Research Context
2. Networked Social Movements
3. Case Studies:The Spanish Indignados &The OccupyWall Street
Movement
4. Institutionalization of Social Movements
5. Previous frameworks of analysis
6. A new framework to measure social movements outcomes
7. Objectives and operationalization

3. Research Context
•Global financial crisis of 2008 propelled a new wave of social
movements in several western societies.
•Two key examples: M-15 and OWS movements.
•Objective: to create a new framework to understand the outcomes of
networked social movements (Castells, 2013).

4. Networked Social Movements (1)
“Networked Social Movements (…)
may well be the social movements
with the characteristics of the
networked society and the social
structure of the information age”.
(Castells, 2012)
“The most educated generation ever
is using new information technologies
to change the contemporary political
landscape.”
(Mason, 2014)

5. Networked Social Movements (2)
Socio-
demographic
changes
(Loader, 2007)
Hybrid Media
System
(Chadwick, 2013)
Collective and
Connective
Action
(Bennett &
Segerberg, 2012)

6. The Spanish Indignados
• May, 2011: protests and occupation of
landmarks against austerity measures.
• Prior to the protests social media is
used as a tool to gather citizens.
• Several previous campaigns and
movements bring together individuals
with similar agendas. The most
important one is Democracia RealYa!
• Widespread support for the movement
encourages the formation of Podemos.
• Internal disputes and uncertainty after
the elections of December, 2015.

7. OccupyWall Street
• September, 2011: protests and occupation
of public spaces. Starts in NY but expands
to several countries.
• Protesters call for economic justice and the
end of the political establishment.
• Changes reporting and political discourse.
• The American political system remains
mostly intact.
• OWS is connected to recent insurgent
movements: Bernie Sanders candidacy to
the Democratic Party.

8. Institutionalization of SMOs
•Common practice: most contemporary protest movements choose to follow
conventional forms of protest (Meyer &Tarrow, 1998).
•“In terms of realpolitik, the dreams of realpolitik, the dreams of social change
will have to be watered down and channelled through political institutions,
either by reform of by revolution” (Castells, 2015).
•SMOs become more domesticated (McAdams et al., 2003).
•Compliant movements risk fragmentation and weakening of their groups
(Piven and Cloward, 1977).
•Can create ties with between SMOs and elites with negative impact for the
movements’ goals (Della Porta & Diani, 1999).

9. The Challenges of Measuring the Outcomes of SMOs
• SMOs are created as responses to diverse issues = different goals (Della
Porta & Diani, 1999).
• Establishing a causal relationship between a series of events and a
significant change in society (Giugni, 1998)
• Impact of third party effects (Giugni, 1998).
• No consensus on the right moment to analyse the legacy of collective
action.

10. Political, Biographical and Cultural Consequences
of SMOs( Giugni, 2008)
Political
• Gamson(1990)
• Kitschelt (1986)
• Amenta (1992)
• Burstein (1998; 1999)
• Giugni (2004; 2007)
Biographical
• Giugni (2004)
• Goldstone and
McAdams (2011)
• McAdams (1989)
Cultural
• Burnstein et al. (1995)
• Earl (2000)
• Hart (1996)
• D’Anjou (1996)
• Rochon (1998)

11. A new framework of analysis to measure the outcomes
of Networked Social Movements
1.The evolution of social movements’ aims and goals.
1.1Tracking the changes of core values and goals of SMOs.
1.2 Understanding how these changes affect the relationship of the
movement with its activists and supporters.
2. Cultural impact on the Civil Society:
2.1 Online Support and Impact
2.2 Offline Support and Impact
3. Social Movements impact on the Political System:
3.1 Decision Making Process
3.2 Institutional Landscape
3.3 Political System

12. Conclusion
Objectives:
Further the understanding of social movements’ outcomes in the information
age.
Agent centred approach = Political socialization in the information age.
More emphasis on the cultural impact of SMOs.
Operationalization:
Netnography of Social Movements: OccupyWall Street and M-15.
Discourse Analysis: Manifestos, speeches and twitter feeds.
Interviews with activists.

13. Thank you!
For more questions or comments:
Claudia.Ferreira.2015@live.rhul.ac.uk
@ctmferreira