Vol. 15 No. 29 (2024): Continuities and Transformations in Forms of Collective Action
Articles

All Growing but Differently: Two Ideal-typical Forms of Continuity and Expansion Followed by Young German Activists

Lia Duran Mogollon
University of Siegen

Published 2024-07-23

Keywords

  • activism,
  • abeyant-experimental,
  • lineal sustained,
  • political engagement

How to Cite

Mogollon, L. D. (2024). All Growing but Differently: Two Ideal-typical Forms of Continuity and Expansion Followed by Young German Activists. SocietàMutamentoPolitica, 15(29), 135–146. https://doi.org/10.36253/smp-15503

Abstract

This paper seeks to further the discussions about what continuity in activism can look like, about the differentiated trajectories that activists can follow and how growth and continuity (as trait shared by all activists) might be differently patterned by factors at the micro- meso- and macro- levels. For this, the present analysis zooms into the trajectories of 9 activists and proposes two ideal typical kinds of trajectories (the abeyant-experimental and the lineal sustained) based on the patterns of growth, expansion, and change as narrated by the participants. The interview analysis suggests that activism has been experienced as an in-flux process during which growth and change have been constant. Participants report about gaining specific skills, expanding their networks, adopting new routines and repertoires of action, adopting different frames of cognition and even a experiencing changes in their self-perception due to their political engagement. The study proposes an analytical concept to further the analysis of activist trajectories and stress the differentiated expressions of growth and expansion revealed by activists.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...

References

  1. Alteri L., Leccardi C. and Raffini L. (2017), «Youth and the Reinvention of Politics. New Forms of Participation in the Age of Individualization and Presentification», in Partecipazione e Conflitto, 9(3): 717-747. https://doi.org/10.1285/i20356609v9i3p717
  2. Boltanski L. and Chiapello E. (2005), «The New Spirit of Capitalism», in International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society, 18(3-4): 161-188 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10767-006-9006-9
  3. Blee K. M. and Taylor V. (2002), «Semi-structured interviewing in social movement research», in B. Klandermans and S. Staggenborg (eds.), Methods of social movement research, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, pp. 92-117.
  4. Bosi L., Lavizzari A. and Voli S. (2022), «Comparing Young People’s Participation across Political Organisations from a Life Course Perspective», in Journal of Youth Studies, 25(4): 433-451. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2021.1892618
  5. Bunnage L. A. (2014), «Social movement engagement over the long haul: Understanding activist retention», in Sociology Compass, 8(4): 433-445. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12141
  6. Busse B., Hashem-Wangler A. and Tholen J. (2015), «Two Worlds of Participation: Young People and Politics in Germany», in Sociological Review 63(2): 118-140. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-954X.12265
  7. Coe A. B., Wiklund M., Uttjek M. and Nygren L. (2016), «Youth Politics as Multiple Processes: How Teenagers Construct Political Action in Sweden», in Journal of Youth Studies 19(10): 1321-1337. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2016.1166191
  8. Corrigall-Brown C. (2012), «From the balconies to the barricades, and back? Trajectories of participation in contentious politics», in Journal of Civil Society, 8(1): 17-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/17448689.2012.665650
  9. Corrigall-Brown C. (2020), Patterns of protest, Stanford University Press, Stanford.
  10. Crossley N. (2004). «Not being mentally ill: Social movements, system survivors and the oppositional habitus», in Anthropology & Medicine, 11(2): 161-180. https://doi.org/10.1080/13648470410001678668
  11. Crossley N. (2003), «From reproduction to transformation: Social movement fields and the radical habitus», in Theory, culture & society, 20(6): 43-68. https://doi.org/10.1177/0263276403206003
  12. Dalton R. J. (2017), The participation gap: Social status and political inequality, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
  13. Davis G. F., McAdam D., Scott W. R. and Zald M. N. (eds.). (2005), Social movements and organization theory, Cambridge University Press, New York.
  14. Downton J. and Wehr P. (1998), «Persistent Pacifism: How Activist Commitment is Developed and Sustained» in Journal of Peace Research, 35(5): 531-550. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022343398035005001
  15. Earl J., Maher T. V. and Elliott T. (2017), «Youth, activism, and social movements», in Sociology Compass, 11(4): e12465. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.12465
  16. EURYKA (2019) Integrated Report on Biographical Analysis (Deliverable 6.2). www.unige.ch/sciences-societe/euryka/files/6315/8046/8943/EURYKA_D6.1.pdf
  17. Fillieule O. (2013), «Political Socialisation and Social Movements», in D.A Snow, D. Della Porta, B. Klandermans and D. McAdam (eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements, Malden, MA, Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470674871.wbespm199
  18. Fillieule O. and Neveu E. (eds). (2019), Activists Forever? Long-term Impacts of Political Activism. Cambridge University Press.
  19. Gaiser W., De Rijke J. and Spannring R. (2010), «Youth and political participation–empirical results for Germany within a European context», in Young, 18(4): 427-450. https://doi.org/10.1177/110330881001800404
  20. Goodwin J., Jasper J. M., Polletta F. (eds). (2009), Passionate politics: Emotions and social movements. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
  21. Gozzo S. and Sampugnaro R. (2017), «What Matters? Changes in European Youth Participation» in Partecipazione e Conflitto, 9(3): 748-776. https://doi.org/10.1285/i20356609v9i3p748
  22. Kiess J. (2021), «Class Against Democracy? Family Background, Education, and (Youth) Political Participation in Germany», in M. Giugni and M. T. Grasso (eds.), Youth and Politics in Times of Increasing Inequalities, Basingstoke: Palgrave, pp. 29-56.
  23. Klanderman B. (1997), The Social Psychology of Protest, Blackwell, Oxford.
  24. Mattoni A. (2014), «The potentials of grounded theory in the study of social movements», in Methodological practices in social movement research, 2: 21-42.
  25. McAdam D. (1989), «The biographical consequences of activism», in American sociological review, 54 (5): 744-760.
  26. Norris P. (2002), Democratic Phoenix: Reinventing Political Activism, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
  27. Passy F. and Giugni M. (2000), «Life-spheres, networks, and sustained participation in social movements: A phenomenological approach to political commitment», in Sociological Forum 15, (1): 117-144.
  28. Pickard S. (2019), Politics, protest and young people: Political participation and dissent in 21st century Britain, Palgrave Macmillan, London.
  29. Pilkington H., Pollock G. and Franc R. (2018), Understanding youth participation across Europe, Springer Germany, Berlin.
  30. Polletta F. and Jasper J. M. (2001), «Collective identity and social movements», in Annual review of Sociology, 27(1): 283-305.
  31. Spannring R., Günther O. and Wolfgang Gaiser, (eds). (2008), Youth and Political Participation in Europe: Results of the Comparative Study EUYOUPART, Leverkusen-Opladen: Barbara Budrich-Esser.
  32. Strauss A. and Corbin J. (2008), Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory, Sage, Thousand Oaks.
  33. Tarrow S. (2008), «Charles Tilly and the practice of contentious politics», in Social Movement Studies, 7(3): 225-246. https://doi.org/10.1080/14742830802485601.
  34. Taylor V. (1989), «Social movement continuity: The women’s movement in abeyance», in American Sociological Review, 54, (5): 761-775. https://doi.org/10.2307/2117752