Thesis

Rethinking success for transnational advocacy networks : a grounded theory analysis of the 16 days of activism against gender based violence campaign

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Awarding institution
  • University of Strathclyde
Date of award
  • 2014
Thesis identifier
  • T13934
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Department, School or Faculty
Abstract
  • This thesis questions whether an adequate understanding of "campaign success" exists in transnational advocacy network (TAN) scholarship. I argue that success has been understood as "influence on state behaviour", but that alternative understandings are possible. These alternatives can be uncovered by bringing in the understandings of activists themselves and considering success through the lens of real experience. I study a well-known global campaign, 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, run by a TAN organised around the issue of violence against women. I use Constructivist Grounded Theory as developed by Kathy Charmaz (2006) to make sense of semi-structured qualitative interviews with activists, and campaign documents. I argue that success in this case means "sustaining an effective and inclusive challenge", and I demonstrate this by bringing together three distinct success stories which activists told about their work: (1) success as changing the discourse and behaviour of power-holders, (2) success as empowering women, and (3) success as building a network. From my empirical argument I then develop three theoretical proposals to move TAN theory towards a fuller, more nuanced account of campaign success. I suggest that scholars should: (1) recognise both public and private spaces as sites of campaign success; (2) treat TANs as constructed, heterogeneous actors within which there are internal power hierarchies and consequent contestations over the meaning of success; and (3) view success as distinct from the achievement of the campaign's overall goal, and tied instead to incremental gains occurring throughout the process of a campaign.
Resource Type
DOI
Date Created
  • 2014
Former identifier
  • 1042824

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