Staying Alive: The Power of Inclusion in Transnational Social Movements

Graduate #109
Discipline: Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences
Subcategory: Social Sciences/Psychology/Economics

Fernando Tormos - Purdue University

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International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) have emerged as powerful actors in the international arena. Yet, despite their proliferation, few organizations manage to survive over time and have a sustained impact on world politics. Why do some organizations survive while others cease to exist? This study consists of a Large-N analysis of the relationship between diversity and inclusion and the organizational persistence of INGOs. This analysis draws from the Transnational Social Movement Organizations dataset (1953-2003) and original data on diversity and inclusion in international organizations. This study is part of a larger project that assesses how transnational social movements gain and exert power in world politics. The project tests the claim that proposes that inclusive approaches to organizing transnational movements improve the odds of maintaining solidarity among different social groups and exerting political influence over movement targets, including states and multinational corporations. I find that diversity and inclusion improves an organization’s odd of persisting over time and exerting political influence.

Funder Acknowledgement(s): Purdue Climate Change Research Center; Purdue Graduate School; Purdue Vice President of Research; Purdue Department of Political Science.

Faculty Advisor: S. Laurel Weldon, weldons@purdue.edu

Role: Every part