How Protest Brokers Enable Local Protests in South Africa

🧭 Research Puzzle

Why do some communities protest to demand change while other, seemingly similar communities do not? Prior work shows elites matter and documents a wide range of mobilization tactics, but struggles to explain why some elites are far more effective than others. This paper argues that the answer lies in the "technology of mobilization"—specifically, the role of protest brokers.

🛠 Evidence From Ethnographic Fieldwork

Draws on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in South Africa to trace how mobilization actually happens on the ground.

• Detailed, on-the-ground observation of mobilization processes in South African communities
• Close attention to interactions among elites, intermediaries, and potential protesters

🔑 Key Findings

• Protest brokers function as intermediaries who connect elites seeking mobilization with potential protesters.
• Brokers provide critical local knowledge, social connections, and trust that many elites lack.
• Without brokers, elites often cannot deploy mobilization tactics effectively, sharply reducing the likelihood that protests will occur.
• The presence or absence of brokers helps explain where protests happen, adding a layer of explanation beyond elite strategies alone.

⚖ Why It Matters

This perspective refines understanding of elite-driven mobilization by highlighting the infrastructural and relational mechanisms—rather than only strategic choices—that enable collective action. The findings have implications for research on social movements, representation, and the micro-mechanics of contentious politics, and they suggest new angles for studying variation in protest occurrence across contexts.