Dissecting Dissent: A Multilevel Integrative Framework on Nonviolent Resistance

Research into nonviolent resistance movements has surged over the past decade. The successes and failures of these movements has been the main focus of academic interest, with the explorations of why and how these movements emerge fading into the background. The aim of this paper is to survey and synthesise the field and create a multilevel systematic framework of factors that impact the onset and effectiveness of nonviolent resistance movements. In total, over forty-one factors relating to the structure of society and the agency of the resisters have been identified. These factors have been placed into seven categories which belong to three levels of analysis. On a macro-, meso- and micro-level, these categories include factors relating to the political and economic system, modernization, the country’s international relations, the balance of power within society, and the grievances, resources and capacity of the resistance group. The presented framework allows scholars to systematically analyse nonviolent resistance cases in the future, which contributes to assessing the relevance and weight of the identified factors.