Structural conditions of mobilization. An empirical study of American miners' strikes in the 19th century

Research on protest activity has shown that horizontal social networks betw een the members of social groups are conducive to the social mobilization a nd organization of these groups. This article examines whether certain macr osociological structural conditions determine the development of horizontal social networks and therefore the mobilization and organization of certain social groups. The development of unions and strikes in American coal mini ng in the 19th century is used as example. Following some considerations ma de by Marx and Engels as well as research on strikes and unions five variab les are analyzed: geographical concentration, the isolation of miners, urba nization, plant size, and the: existence of structural differentiation of t he mining population (ethnicity, race, embedding in rural production system s). it turns out that geographical concentration and isolation, the loss of embedding in rural production systems as well as urbanization have positiv e effects on mobilization, whereas structural differentiation along ethnic and racial lines weakens the chances for mobilization.