Hierarchical correlation of joint patterns of urban protests

Abstract

We use an entropic formalism to compare the temporal strike patterns of two important unions in Córdoba city, Argentina. Despite being uncorrelated, the combined impact of the protests is not simply additive. This is reflected in the form of emerging nonlinear effects. The formalism allows for a study of system’s controllability aspects described in terms of entropic regimes. The analysis enables the characterization of correlations between overlapping periods of protest activity. It makes possible to quantitatively point out how in principle low-intensity seasons of independent strikes can often form a joint pattern of protests with higher social conflict.