Effective social action and political parties: a proposed analysis

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to show how the effective social action (ASE, for its Spanish acronym) model provides conceptual guidelines that allow us to explain the transformation processes of social actors. In their transition to addressing their common needs and shortcomings, they form diverse organizational forms that respond to specific historical moments or situations. The ASE analytical model focuses on the trajectories of organizations, in this case, political parties: their transformations and adaptations in correlation with the social, political, economic and cultural reality in which they are embedded: the configuration of their itineraries, agendas, and goals; the construction of mechanisms to carry out their purposes —their organizational and associative development (DOA, for its Spanish acronym)—. It also focuses on the analysis of the points where those who decide to organize converge: common objectives, shared identities and ideologies, and even their adversaries. In this sense, this article aims to formulate an analytical proposal for political parties, taking the ASE model as a starting point. Given its focus on the metamorphosis of organizations, it could not be considered a study grounded not only in concepts from sociology and the social sciences but also in the discipline of history. To this end, the article uses the example of left-wing parties and organizations in Mexico in the 70’s and 80’s.