ABSTRACT
Although the literature on social movements is vast, there has been surprisingly little systematic analysis of the interaction of social movement organizations (SMOs). The fundamental task of this chapter is to gain analytic purchase on the variety of SMO interorganizational relationships and to begin to specify the conditions under which these various forms of interaction are most likely to occur. It focuses primarily upon competition between organizations within the social movement sector, paying attention primarily to intra-industry relations. The conflict that occurs between SMOs over legitimacy is normally discussed by analysts under the rubric of the "functions of radical fringe". SMOs in modern society are linked to one another and to other organizations in a wide variety of ways. These linkages serve to mute the conflict that might be expected from a conception of SMOs as just organizations seeking survival and growth. Although coalitions, both formal and informal, are common, mergers between SMOs seem relatively rare.
