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The social capital of urban activism

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  • Katherine VanHoose
  • Federico Savini

Abstract

Practices of urban activism are increasingly viewed as a new form of engaged citizenship. Because of their insurgent and informal nature, however, these initiatives are at risk of marginalization from exclusionary urban policy processes. Employing the concept of social capital, this paper analyzes the internal organization of two activist communities and their capacity to connect with and influence public and formal institutions. Through a cross-national comparison of two case studies, we show that such groups are likely to achieve end goals when they feature selective membership, maintain a common purpose and identity, and make strategic use of intermediaries and experts to create bridges to external institutions and resources. We conclude by arguing that, today, urban activists face a fundamental trade-off between inclusiveness and instrumentalism.

Suggested Citation

  • Katherine VanHoose & Federico Savini, 2017. "The social capital of urban activism," City, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3-4), pages 293-311, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cityxx:v:21:y:2017:i:3-4:p:293-311
    DOI: 10.1080/13604813.2017.1325207
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    Cited by:

    1. Alison L Bain & Julie A Podmore, 2021. "Relocating queer: Comparing suburban LGBTQ2S activisms on Vancouver’s periphery," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 58(7), pages 1500-1519, May.
    2. Federico Savini & Luca Bertolini, 2019. "Urban experimentation as a politics of niches," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 51(4), pages 831-848, June.

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