Power of inter-chapter distance: Shaping social movement networks in Extinction Rebellion Australia

This paper examines how distance impacts the network of connections across social movement organisations. Much of the social movements research on scale and spatiality has focused on micro (the immediate vicinity in protest events) and macro levels (local-global connections), with limited attention paid to the role played by distance in shaping networks across a single country context. To examine this phenomenon, we analyse Extinction Rebellion Australia: an environmental social movement organisation that diffused from the densely populated and spatially compact UK to Australia, with its geographically concentrated populations separated by large distances. Building on Davis’ power of distance framework, this paper introduces the power of inter-chapter distance: a framework wherein physical, institutional, cultural, and class-based distances shape network connections within social movements. Our network analysis revealed four network archetypes: a bridge-rich core spans the eastern coast from Melbourne to Brisbane, while affinity-clustered, chapter-centred, and bifurcated systems are found elsewhere in the country. A thematic analysis then draws on rich qualitative data to discuss how inter-chapter distances impact the character of mobilisation in Extinction Rebellion Australia.