Event Coalitions after the Event

Legacies of Mega-Event Activism

in Contention
Author:
Adam Talbot Lecturer, University of the West of Scotland, UK adam.talbot@uws.ac.uk

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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.3167/cont.2024.120102
Keywords:
alliances; coalitions; event coalitions; organizational change; social movement organizations
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Abstract

This article introduces a conceptual framework for understanding the lasting benefits of coalition participation for SMOs. Based on ethnographic research into protest linked to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, it traces how individual movement organizations were able to benefit from participation in an event coalition. Lasting benefits, or legacies, of coalition participation included organizational changes, enhanced mobilization potential, and achieving political objectives. However, these were not distributed evenly among the organizations studied, with some more able than others to effectively benefit from coalition participation than others, based on three factors: organizational structure, decision-making processes, and movement mission. This empirically grounded framework provides new avenues for the study of coalitions and how individual movement organizations are affected by coalition participation.

Contributor Notes

Adam Talbot is a Lecturer in Events Management at the University of the West of Scotland. His research explores protest and activism associated with sport mega-events, particularly the Olympic Games. Email: adam.talbot@uws.ac.uk

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Contention

The Multidisciplinary Journal of Social Protest

Cover Contention
Article Category:
Research Article
Page Count:
30
Keywords:
alliances; coalitions; event coalitions; organizational change; social movement organizations
Print Publication Date:
01 Jun 2024
Online Publication Date:
01 Jun 2024
Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024

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