ISC Briefs

14 lessons for social movement success

Amy Janzwood

This brief summarizes lessons from the academic literature for building successful social movements. It outlines several core insights with an eye on their practical application for social movements, advocacy campaigns, and their supporters.

Network dynamics of the pandemic shock: Three network shifts and why they matter

Jinelle Piereder

January 11, 2021 • This Brief analyzes three major shifts in humanity’s networks that the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered or accelerated: (1) network centralization, (2) network fragmentation and reconfiguration, and (3) network formation. It then examines the impact of these shifts across economic, food, information, and governance systems.

The Roubini Cascade: Are we heading for a Greater Depression?

Michael Lawrence & Thomas Homer-Dixon

December 4, 2020 • This Brief develops a system map of Nouriel Roubini’s argument that the world is heading into a Greater Depression. It uses this visualization to highlight crucial features of his prediction.

Behind the mask: Anti-mask and pro-mask attitudes in North America

Scott Janzwood & Michelle Lee

September 15, 2020 • This Brief reviews the emerging scientific evidence on the effectiveness of masks for preventing the spread of COVID-19 and offers strategies for addressing persistent anti-scientific beliefs around masks, COVID-19 and other issues.

Shocking global inequality

Michael Lawrence

August 25, 2020 • This Brief examines how the COVID-19 pandemic is interacting with entrenched structural inequalities between the wealthiest and the most marginalized segments of humanity.