THE SEEDS OF PROTEST - FROM ELITE INITIATION TO GRASS-ROOTS MOBILIZATION

The article reports the findings of our case study of a social movemen t organization opposed to the pollution of a river by a paper mill. Us ing data from participant-observation and archival sources, we analyze the relationship between elites and non-elites in this community mobi lization. We find that: (1) mobilization was inhibited for 80 years be cause of the economic oppression of the region: (2) when a movement or ganization finally emerged, it was initiated by elites who resisted gr assroots membership in order to control movement goals and protect the ir own economic interests, and (3) the elite-sponsored organization de clined because of internal conflict but generated a new, grassroots or ganization. Based on our analysis, we conclude that protest and quiesc ence are cycles in the interaction of elites and non-elites that refle ct social class conflict.