ABSTRACT
Social movements are generally thought to be organized as ‘networks of networks’ (van de Donk et al. 2004: 3), as decentralized coalitions of distinct clusters that are connected through informal non-hierarchical relationships. This claim was first put forward by Gerlach and Hine, as early as 1970, emerging as a conclusion of their seminal ethnographic study of the Pentecostal movement and the Black Panthers. Gerlach and Hine argued that this decentralized architecture is suitable for social movements since it allows them to evade repression by the authorities, enabling them to ‘penetrate into a variety of social niches through factionalism and schism, adapt to circumstances, and promote innovation’ (Baldassari and Diani 2007: 8).
