Mapping networks of support for the zapatista movement: Applying social-networks analysis to study contemporary social movements

The structure of global communication has been undergoing a quiet sea-change. It was once reasonable to assume that communication among those in different nations would naturally be channeled through a hierarchy of institutions, through patterns that had been established over centuries and at great social cost. Although there were certainly examples of decentralized global grassroots organizations, these were placed at a significant disadvantage because of the logistical apparatus available to states and to corporations.