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DOI :10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276   IUP :10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276    Full Text (PDF)

The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective

Efe Can Gürcan, Can Donduran

The “Black Lives Matter” (BLM) movement is believed to be the largest social movement in American history. Making sense of such a historically significant social movement will certainly enable a fuller understanding of contemporary American politics and society. The significance of BLM also makes this movement a benchmark case that provides a testbed for social movement theories. Within the framework provided by political process theory and the process tracing method, this article seeks to explain the political and socioeconomic dynamics underlying the development of BLM. One important factor that stands out in the case of BLM is the presence of an enabling political-economic environment characterized by rising ethno-racial inequalities, police brutality, and racism under the socially polarizing effects of the 2008 economic crisis. A second set of factors to be considered is BLM’s adoption of a decentralized organizational structure, which facilitates the rallying and mobilization of large segments of society based on loose coalition strategies enacted through social media. Third, the rise and development of BLM greatly owe to the deployment of strongly motivating slogans, symbols, and modes of collective action that carry symbolic value, appeal to mass emotions, and address the political opportunities in place.

Keywords: American Politics, Black Lives Matter, Civil Rights, Political Process, Racism, Social Movements

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APA

Gürcan, E.C., & Donduran, C. (2021). The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective. Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences, 30(1), 151-167. https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276


AMA

Gürcan E C, Donduran C. The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective. Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences. 2021;30(1):151-167. https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276


ABNT

Gürcan, E.C.; Donduran, C. The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective. Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences, [Publisher Location], v. 30, n. 1, p. 151-167, 2021.


Chicago: Author-Date Style

Gürcan, Efe Can, and Can Donduran. 2021. “The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective.” Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences 30, no. 1: 151-167. https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276


Chicago: Humanities Style

Gürcan, Efe Can, and Can Donduran. “The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective.” Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences 30, no. 1 (Dec. 2024): 151-167. https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276


Harvard: Australian Style

Gürcan, EC & Donduran, C 2021, 'The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective', Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences, vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 151-167, viewed 9 Dec. 2024, https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276


Harvard: Author-Date Style

Gürcan, E.C. and Donduran, C. (2021) ‘The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective’, Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences, 30(1), pp. 151-167. https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276 (9 Dec. 2024).


MLA

Gürcan, Efe Can, and Can Donduran. “The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective.” Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences, vol. 30, no. 1, 2021, pp. 151-167. [Database Container], https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276


Vancouver

Gürcan EC, Donduran C. The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective. Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences [Internet]. 9 Dec. 2024 [cited 9 Dec. 2024];30(1):151-167. Available from: https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276 doi: 10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276


ISNAD

Gürcan, EfeCan - Donduran, Can. “The Formation and Development of the Black Lives Matter Movement: A Political Process Perspective”. Siyasal: Journal of Political Sciences 30/1 (Dec. 2024): 151-167. https://doi.org/10.26650/siyasal.2021.30.1.871276



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Submitted30.01.2021
Accepted23.03.2021
Published Online31.03.2021

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