5th ISA Forum of Sociology (6-11 July 2025)

Political participation through activism in social movements against discrimination, anti-racism, in favour of minorities, for human, social and environmental rights is above all the story of a way through which some active minorities have tried to affect their present, to change society and make it more just and equitable. The activism is not exhausted in a repertoire of practices and tactics of protest and demonstration but today emerges as concrete action in support of minorities and vulnerable groups.

The panel aims at focusing on “prosocial” and self-help groups acting as intermediaries, as well as NGOs and associations that are part of the cooperation and support network for return migrants, in particular women. It points out the networked nature of social movements, and their ways of making coalition with other collective subjects and organisations in support of migrants and return migrants.

Looking at non-profit associationism and volunteering as rigidly separate from political activism and movementism does not help to understand multifaceted collective actions characterised by marked intersectionality. Humanitarian practices, civic engagements, and contentious politics are often interconnected in favour of migrant rights and with the aim to support migrant paths. Several research questions emerged from this interrelation such as the priority of the political or humanitarian in the choice of participating or active supporting migrants.