The radical flank: Curse or blessing of a social movement?

Abstract

Social movements often comprise a variety of actors employing differing levels of radicality. This study examines how collective action enables social change by studying the influence of the presence of a radical flank on public support for moderate and radical activists. We report two experimental studies investigating the reactions towards the protests of a movement in the United Kingdom opposing a university’s reduction in sustainable catering options (N = 485) and an anti-fracking movement in the US (N = 455). In both experiments, participants read a fake newspaper article about a: (1) completely nonviolent, (2) completely violent, or (3) mixed violent/nonviolent movement including a radical flank. The tested models reveal that identification with the activists drives effects on public support (i.e., intentions to participate and donate). Specifically, the presence of a radical flank caused an increase in public support for the moderates (Study 1) or a decrease in support for the radicals (Study 2). Study 2 additionally found that the magnitude of the effects is moderated by the participants’ sympathy for the movement’s cause. Observers who were sympathetic towards the advocated changes reacted more strongly towards the chosen tactics. Implications for theory, practice and future research are discussed. Scholars have not yet unraveled the complex effects that the presence of a radical flank has on the different factions within a social movement. Using experimental methods, the present research tests how a radical group influences public support (i.e., intentions to participate and donate) for both the radical flank and the moderate group. The direct contrast between the groups impacted the moderates positively in Study 1: They gained identification and support (Study 1), while the radical flank was judged more harshly and lost support (Study 2). However, the relative strength of those effects appears to differ across contexts. Moreover, Study 2 found that the effects depended on the observers’ sympathy for the movement’s cause. Overall, sympathizers were more sensitive towards the chosen tactics of the activists.