ABSTRACT
Social movements manifest themselves in part through a wide range of organizations. These organizations are subject to a range of internal and external pressures that affect their viability, their internal structure and processes, and their ultimate success in attaining goals. This chapter discusses the relation of movement organizations to the environment in which they exist, both the society at large and more narrowly the social movement of which they are a manifestation. The ebb and flow of sentiments, the results of success and failure in attaining goals, and the problems of coordination and cooperation among movement organizations are treated. The chapter focuses to a greater extent on internal processes related to goals and commitment. It also discusses the causes of factionalism and schismogenesis and the relation of leadership to organizational transformation. Factions and schisms occur not only because of the heterogeneity of a movement organizations support base, but also because of concern with doctrinal purity.
