DIFFUSION IN ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIAL-MOVEMENTS - FROM HYBRID CORN TOPOISON PILLS

There has been rapid growth in the study of diffusion across organizat ions and social movements in recent years, fueled by interest in insti tutional arguments and in network and dynamic analysis. This research develops a sociologically grounded account of change emphasizing the c hannels along which practices flow. Our review focuses on characterist ic lines of argument, emphasizing the structural and cultural logic of diffusion processes. We argue for closer theoretical attention to why practices diffuse at different rates and via different pathways in di fferent settings. Three strategies for further development are propose d: broader comparative research designs, closer inspection of the cont ent of social relations between collective actors, and more attention to diffusion industries run by the media and communities of experts.