How to Study Social Movements?:Attempts from Movements/Beyond the Academia

This paper will deal with the difficulties of studying social movements with a focus on new approaches and reasons behind these practices. In this respect, ‘participatory/solidarity action research’, ‘self-reflexivity’ and ‘grounded theories’ will be elaborated with the help of the field studies made by the authors on urban social movements and performative ways of protests in Istanbul. The article will also question the position, role and aims of the ‘researcher’ with changing characteristics and challenges before, during and after his/her longitudinal field research vis-à-vis limitations and sensitivities.