Hasty Identity. The Limits of the Law as a Frame for Collective Action

In the past 10 years Mexico has witnessed a significant increase in levels of social mobilization through the use of the law. This article analyzes a campaign of social movements and organizations to promote and push for the enactment of a new mining law in 2012 as a way to stop the rapid expansion of mining projects in the country. As any process of social mobilization there are multiple dimensions of collective efforts; here I pay special attention to framing process. I argue that the coalition between organizations lacked discussions and agreements on the collective identity of the movement, which led to a weak form of collective action. The case study shows that while the law may be a useful framework regarding public opinion, it poses important challenges to build a solid collective identity that serves as unifying factor for sustained collective action.