480
Activism, Resistance and Biography
Abstract Submissions Closed
RC38 Biography and Society (host committee)
Language: English
Session Type: Oral
While Biographical Research has included the life (hi)stories of people involved in political and social activism, Social Movements Studies has been immensely enriched by research focusing on the biographies of actors in popular politics and social change. There are several studies which draw on methods and approaches from both fields. This session seeks to further this mutual exchange and to promote a biographical and historical approach to social movements, activism and resistance.
Recently, global issues like climate change and migration have resulted in the mobilization of (trans)national social movements, as well as political parties. Concurrently, right-wing politics and authoritarian governments are on the rise in many parts of the world, which has also caused an increase in oppositional activism. While societies in general have become more politicized and polarized by these processes, activists in new and old authoritarian regimes face the risk of being labelled as ‘troublemakers’ or even ‘terrorists’, with possible serious biographical consequences.
In the light of these developments, we would like to discuss the processes and dynamics of ‘becoming’ an activist, activists’ self-presentations and discourses on activism. We invite papers which are based on empirical research and which address these issues.