A case study of social-structural impacts on participation in a Palestine solidarity organization in the United States

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Sociologists have identified microstructural factors (micro-level interpersonal ties and social commitments) as influencing participation in social movements. Taking McAdam&rsquo;s (1986) advice to study &ldquo;specific demonstrations, actions, campaigns, or other bounded forms of activism&rdquo; toward the end of avoiding overgeneralizations about the impacts of microstructural factors, I used a survey and interviews to assess how various microstructural factors influenced people&rsquo;s varying levels and forms of participation or non-participation in activities involving a specific organization in the ongoing Palestine solidarity movement. I found that microstructural factors both facilitated and constrained participation in various ways. Also, the functioning of microstructural factors was interlinked with the functioning of attitudinal factors not just among people in general but also among those who mainly or fully supported the demands of The Organization. </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Positive emotions arising from participation were also important in keeping participants engaged in the long term, even if microstructural and attitudinal factors were almost entirely responsible for their initial participation.</span>