RN25 -­‐ Social Movements — Convenors: Emanuela Bozzini (University of Trento) and Nicole Doerr (University of California, Irvine)

The purpose of the social movement research network’s sessions at the ESA conference in Geneva 2011 is to contribute to the on-­‐going reflection on social movement theory and present up-­‐to-­‐date empirical research on mobilisation in various contexts. Abstracts in the area of social movement theory and interdisciplinary methods are welcome. Please note that one joint session on the role of emotions will be organized together with the network on the Sociology of Emotions. Another joint session might be organized together with Political Sociology. Abstract submission will be open on Monday, 10th January 2011 and will be closed on Sunday, 25th February 2011. The following topics are also strongly encouraged: policing of dissent, new forms of participation, social movements and emotions, media and public sphere, organisational innovation, transnational forms of mobilization, the consequences and outcomes of mobilization, global justice and global environmental issues.

Specific Session title I: The Policing of Dissent and New Forms of Political Participation in Social Movements:

The panel will address the policing of dissent in institutional arenas of politics in interaction with movements’ alternative practices and cultures of participation in different local, national and transnational arenas inside and outside movements. The focus here is on providing new theoretical insights based on empirical analysis and comparison.

Specific Session title II: Social Movements & New & More Complex Emotions:

This session will be devoted to theorizing and analyzing social movements whose emotions or emotional repertoire complex goes beyond the „shame, pride and anger“-­‐set. Contrasts between the emotion(s) attached to the self-­‐image and the emotion(s) attached to the public image of a movement are also of interest.

Specific Session title III: Social Movements, Media and the Public Sphere:

At a moment when the internet becomes a hot object of debate about the boundaries of democracy and public opinion, this session will be devoted to theorizing and analyzing innovate practices of protest and the interaction between social movements, mainstream media, and alternative arenas of political communication. Contrasts between different public arenas, visual/discursive media and the role of different languages/cultures of communication uses are also of interest.

Specific Session title IV: Culture, Organizational Innovation and Social Movements:

This session explores how cultures of organizational decision-­‐making and knowledge production in institutions are challenged and shaped by social movements. The session also invites work that addresses the role of activists and sociologists within public discourse, rituals of political talk, and academic knowledge production.

Specific Session title V: Politicization, Transnational Protest and Democratic Alternatives:

Under which conditions do politicization and protest contribute to a democratization of global and European politics? How do transnational social movements promote democratic alternatives? The panel invites theoretical and empirical work on experiments and practices of democracy in local, national and transnational movements and discursive arenas.

Specific Session title VI: Citizenship, Solidarity and the Crisis of Social Justice in Europe:

How do politicians and protesters imagine citizenship and solidarity after the financial and economic crisis? Invited is work on different right-­‐wing, left-­‐wing, social and religious interventions into debates about inclusion, social justice and citizenship in Europe, and comparative work on different case.

Specific Session title VII: Consequences of Contentious Politics:

This panel aims to discuss which are the consequences of contentious politics in a comparative perspective. Looking especially, but not exclusively, at those types of mobilization that have been overlooked by social movement scholars interested in outcomes. With these we mean “awkward” movements like right-­‐wing radicals, fundamentalist religious groups, and armed groups. Papers should focus either on political, cultural or biographical outcomes and compare cases either across space (countries, counties, cities, etc.), time, issues (campaigns, movements, etc.), or a combination thereof.

Specific Session title VIII: Social Movements and the global environment:

global environmental issues like global warming, the loss of biodiversity, food security are at the centre of political and public debates and mobilization. This session is devoted to explore local, transnational and multi-­‐level forms of activism and framing on these issues. Both case studies and comparative work are welcome.

Call for Papers als pdf

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