Political Participation and Social Movements in a Changing World?

Continuing the Standing Group’s ongoing effort to make sense of participation and mobilization in turbulent times, this section invites panels that explore the shifting dynamics of political engagement and collective action today. As wars, political polarization, economic and ecological crises, and democratic backsliding continue to reshape public life, citizens and activists are reimagining how, when, and why they participate. Amid tightening constraints on civil society and the rise of illiberal politics, established repertoires of contention are being challenged and transformed, while new ones emerge. This section seeks to foster dialogue across these developments, encouraging theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions that advance our understanding of participation and social movements in a rapidly changing world. From the marches in solidarity with Palestine to resistance to creeping authoritarianism, from strike waves to climate-related civil disobedience, from feminist action to generational uprisings, collective action is still among the central phenomena of our time, and our section aims to address it in theoretically and empirically founded ways. The section revisits classic themes in light of this spirit, as well as emerging ones, with the aim of providing a meeting space for scholars working on social movements and political participation. While making sense of changes in today’s political context is part of the motivation for this section and for the need to continually revisit established assumptions about political action, we actively invite contributions that challenge these assumptions – particularly those concerning the uniqueness of our current moment and citizens’ and activists’ responses to it. The following is an indicative list of panels. Our aim remains to include individual panel proposals as well as to organize additional or alternative ones based on individual paper proposals, which we explicitly welcome. Panel chairs will be appointed once it is clear which panels will take place. Moreover, panels list below can be ‘adopted’, meaning that we welcome proposals to chair, tailor and curate one of them from any member of our scholarly community. In the meantime, paper proposals for the proposed panels can be discussed directly with the section organizers. Potential Panels: Changing Repertoires of Contention and Participation Chair: Mattias Wahlström (University of Gothenburg) From digital protest to covert tactics under repression, activists are rethinking how to act effectively amid crisis and constraint. This panel examines evolving repertoires of action and their implications for participation. Participatory Motivations and Emotions in a Changing World Chair: Eva Fernandez Guzman Grassi (University of Geneva) In times of despair and uncertainty, activists find new emotional sources to sustain engagement. This panel explores how motivations and emotions shape participation today. Framing in Closed Discursive Opportunity Structures Chair: Martín Portos (Scuola Normale Superiore) Progressive movements now operate in discursive environments favoring reactionary politics. This panel examines how activists craft resonant frames and communication strategies amid hostile or polarized contexts. New Resources for a New World? Chair: Tiago Carvalho (Instituto Universitário de Lisboa) From digital infrastructures and decentralized funding to transnational solidarity networks, movements draw on changing resources. This panel investigates how new and old resources shape activism. Political Opportunity Structures for Far-Right Movements Chair: Caterina Froio (Sciences Po Paris) While progressive actors face closure, far-right movements appear empowered. This panel explores whether they indeed experience expanded opportunities or share similar perceptions of threat. Between Activism and Lived Experience Chair: Nino Zhghenti (Free University of Tbilisi) Activists often mobilize around injustices they personally experience. This panel examines how lived experience informs collective action, from gender and racial oppression to other intersecting struggles. Problems and Political Action Chair: Priska Daphi (Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen) Complex and “wicked” problems—from climate change to disinformation—shape how actors mobilize. This panel centers the characteristics of problems as drivers of political action. Strategies and Outcomes of Collective Action Chair: Katrina Uba (Uppsala University) How do movements make an impact? This panel explores strategies, effectiveness, and outcomes, especially in fields like climate activism and social justice. Political Parties and Social Movements Chair: Felix Butzlaff (Central European University) Boundaries between parties and movements are blurring. This panel examines hybridization, collaboration, and tension between institutional and extra-institutional politics. Social Movements and the Future Chair: Luke Yates (University of Manchester) In a moment of uncertainty and pessimism, how do activists imagine—or struggle to imagine—the future? This panel explores how orientations toward the future shape activism. New Waves of Transnational Solidarity Chair: Jannis Grimm (Freie Universität Berlin) From Ukraine to Gaza, transnational solidarity has re-emerged as a central form of collective action. This panel studies its diffusion, framing, and meanings in a globalized yet fractured world. Labour Struggles and De-Globalisation Chair: Arianna Tassinari (Università di Bologna) The pandemic and protectionist shifts have reshaped labor and supply chains. This panel investigates how de-globalization and economic transformation influence labor mobilization. The Ebbs and Flows of Climate Action Chair: Jessica Lang (European University Institute) After the peak of the global climate strikes, the movement faces backlash and adaptation. This panel explores evolving strategies, forms of action, and responses to anti-environmental politics. Reclaiming the Local and Territorialising Collective Action Chair: Louisa Parks (Università di Trento) From anti-tourism protests to farmer movements, local mobilizations contest and reshape governance. This panel focuses on the territorial dimension of collective action in urban and rural contexts. Resisting the Backlash Chair: Anna Lavizzari (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) Authoritarian turns and anti-gender politics have triggered waves of resistance. This panel investigates how activists counter democratic erosion and rights-based backlash. The Politics of Gen Z Uprisings Chair: Rima Majed (American University of Beirut) Recent youth-led uprisings across the Global South reveal new protest forms and imaginaries. This panel compares their trajectories, targets, and global significance.