Two-mode networks to analyze repertoires of contention : the transferability of protest forms in Spain in times of austerity

Empirical analyses of repertoires of contention (the set of different forms or tactics employed by collective actors in a given territory and period) have traditionally been conducted through aggregative approaches based solely on analyzing the volume of different tactics and their temporal distribution. This article implements empirically, for the first time, a recent methodological proposal to measure the characteristics of repertoires of contention in a more reliable, detailed, and dynamic fashion through the analysis of two-mode networks. This proposal is based on operationalizing the concept of "tactical modularity" (the transferability of protest forms to different circumstances of contention) through the metric of weighted degree centrality. Using a comprehensive database of 1,582 protest events in Spain, we explore the evolution of the repertoire of contention during the anti-austerity protest cycle between 2007 and early 2015. In congruence with theories of cycles of contention, the results show a remarkable overall flexibilization of the repertoire of contention during the cycle's peak (2011-13), mainly due to the increasing transferability of occupations of public spaces initially and symbolic protests later.