Ageing in Protest:(Im)Possibilities of Intergenerational Solidarity Among Struggles for Justice in Southeast Europe

This paper explores the (im)possibilities of intergenerational solidarity within social and ecological justice movements in Southeast Europe, with a focus on the intersections of ageing, gender, and political activism. While demographic shifts such as depopulation and youth migration in the region have sparked scholarly interest, less attention has been paid to how older generations navigate ongoing economic, social, political, and ecological crises, and how these struggles are interconnected with youth.

Positioning political activism as a life-course practice and a form of intergenerational engagement, this study challenges the dominant narrative that frames activism as the domain of youth. It highlights the critical role of older women activists in shaping movements for social, political, and ecological justice. Through ethnographic and archival research on social movements in Turkey and Austria, the paper examines how older women’s life experiences and intersecting identities—shaped by age, gender, class, ethnicity, and religion—inform their activism and their ability to build solidarity across generations.

Key questions include: How do older activists (dis)engage with younger generations in collective action? What are the tensions and opportunities in forming intergenerational alliances? How are expressions of solidarity shaped by political, cultural, and social factors in Southeast Europe? The study also examines how the material and emotional connections between generations influence movement strategies and how collective narratives can either strengthen or hinder solidarity.

By expanding the geographical and socio-historical scope of scholarship on ageing and activism, this paper sheds light on the opportunities and challenges of fostering intergenerational solidarity within movements for justice, offering a critical perspective on the realignments between generational and political divisions in an ageing society.