Rethinking Collective Action: Cohesive Networks of Public Complaints in Authoritarian China
Research Poster Social & Behavioral Sciences 2025 Graduate ExhibitionPresentation by Valerie Li
Exhibition Number 51
Abstract
What explains state repression of civil resistance with less participation? This paper argues that “cohesion” in contentious behaviors—agreement on demand goals or framing strategies—predicts state repression. Cohesive actions can emerge through collective efforts, imitation of others, or repeated behaviors by a single actor. Even without a large crowd, cohesive demands pose a threat to the state by disseminating a coherent political message about shared societal grievances. Using text data on online public complaints from China, I employ a text reuse detection method to identify cohesive networks of public complaints. Spatial analysis results demonstrate that engaging in cohesive actions reduces the likelihood of state concessions for a persistent single actor, but increases the likelihood of concession for group actors. This paper advances the study of contentious politics by moving beyond protest participation and revealing the prevalence and consequences of cohesive contentious behaviors in autocracies.
Importance
This study contributes to the scholarly literature on civil resistance in non-democratic contexts. It helps us expand the scope of existing research by revealing collective dissents that share a common language, the ways in which they are communicated, the conditions through which they emerge, and their consequences when facing state repression. This study thus helps us understand the democratization process and improve democracy.
DEI Statement
This study looks at underprivileged populations in autocratic environments, such as people facing economic challenges and navigating a complex bureaucratic system. I study how these citizens still manage to contend with the state collectively to advance their interests, and what characteristics (gender, education, occupation) make them more likely to participate in contentious behaviors, despite an unequal playing field.