Social Movements Democratic Practices

Different and sometimes conflictual forms of participation’s practices have been developed and applied by social movements, such as direct democracy, deliberation, and participatory processes. With different declinations, variations, and hybrid results, they have been used for different aims, such as taking decisions, adjusting strategies, building alliances, assessing priorities, etc. On the other side, many activists underline the relevance of daily grassroots democratic practices developed on the side and with the involvement of disadvantaged people, as well organizational and socialization practices aimed at strengthening solidarities, creating and consolidating networks, providing direct help, developing politicization and empowerment. If the relevance and innovation of these practices is undeniable, a critical point is to what extent they have been able to include people usually excluded from other forms of democratic participation. This concern is particularly important in contexts/countries historically characterized by high levels of social cleavages, where resources for mobilizations and participation look scarce and centralized in few players, with the effect of excluding large sectors of society from political participation (conventional and not). Against this background, this session aims to address two main questions: to what extent are social movements able to implement grassroots democratic practices and organizational processes which effectively are inclusive also for vulnerable people? Can these practices be a bridge for strengthening broader participation and inclusion of excluded people in society and politics? Empirical and grounded-theoretical papers are welcomed addressing this issue focusing on any interesting case, and particularly in marginalized (e.g. socially, geographically, ethnically) realities and contexts.