The individuals and social circles that support an actor’s goals or purposive conduct to a sufficient degree to contribute to that actor’s capacity to act and exert influence.
- Explanation. A following presupposes neither complete agreement with all of an actor’s goals or civilisation elements nor formal membership of an organisation. Support may take many forms, including assent, voting, participation, cooperation, funding, dissemination of ideas, or the performance and support of activities.
Individuals or social circles are more likely to belong to an actor’s following when, from their own personal or circle civilisation, they experience the actor’s assessment of situations, goals and courses of action as recognisable, justified or desirable. Systems of ideas and narratives may contribute to the coherence, recognisability and legitimation of the actor’s purposive conduct.
The size, social position, resources and actual cooperation of a following may constitute a power base for the actor. A following is not the same as power: it contributes to an actor’s capacity only insofar as the support can become socially operative in the situation concerned.
Occurs in Propositions
- Proposition 027 – Narrative and transmissibility
- Proposition 034 – Civilisation and support
- Proposition 035 – Support base as power base
- Proposition 065 – Legitimation through shared civilisation
- Proposition 074 – Legitimation civilises the support base
- Proposition 075 – Competing interpretations of outcomes
- Proposition 081 – Movement between change classes
Last updated: 3 October 2026