Abstract

The creation and stabilization of local collective practices are important for social movement actors who wish to effect wider societal change. However, the making of durable collective practices remains problematic for people working on the ground. Using the theoretical framework of expansive learning and activity theory, this study investigates how new practices are created in social movements and identifies enablers and obstacles to creating authentic organized practices that address local needs. An educational initiative called the Media School, implemented by an LGBT+ organization in Turkey, is used as a case study. Through narrative interviews conducted with two people involved in the design and implementation of the Media School, its historical development is traced from its inception in 2007 to the present day. The findings reveal that social movement practices may start with a general vision and default methods and strategies. Knowledge of exact strategies and methods emerge in the process to achieve the vision. The enablers identified in the study include: observing ongoing change and capturing new emerging patterns; using probability-oriented strategies to complement pattern-oriented ones when definitive decisions cannot be made; accommodating existing rules and resisting their form; using organized models of interaction with target communities to give them process support when generating policies; imposing internal ethical principles. Obstacles include: narrowing original visions by focusing on only one method for their operationalization. In addition, tacit, shared understandings between people emerged as both an obstacle and enabler to the creation of new practices.
Keywords: social movement learning, expansive learning, activity theory