Cosmos
The Centre on Social Movement Studies
Journal Article - 2013
Author: Donatella della Porta
Journal Article - 2012
Author: Lorenzo Zamponi
Italy was the birthplace of the first mobilisation targeting the crisis-related austerity measures: in 2008, students protesting against the governmental cuts chanted ‘We won't pay for the crisis’. After that, Italy appeared unable to play a significant role in European anti-austerity mobilisation. The waves of protest of the last three years seem much less influential,… moreWorking Paper - 2012
Author: Jana Warkotsch
When at the height of the 'Arab Spring' Egyptians from all walks of life took to the streets to oust one of the Arab world's most long-standing dictators, it took both Egyptians and outside observers by surprise. This report explores the events commonly described as the January 25 Revolution in Egypt, as well as the… moreWorking Paper - 2012
Author: Daniel P. Ritter
Among cases of transition to democracy from below, the East German one constitutes a particularly challenging puzzle. Whereas social movements taking advantage of an oppositional space within a repressive context have preceded many transitions, the East German case shows little evidence of such large-scale prior opposition. Even when compared to other Eastern European transitions, East… moreWorking Paper - 2012
Author: Daniel P. Ritter
In the late 1980s Czechoslovakia was considered one of the most repressive countries in Eastern Europe and a staunch Soviet ally. In the aftermath of the 'Prague Spring' of 1968, repressed with Soviet help, the regime managed to remove virtually all expressions of dissent. Yet in the fall of 1989 civil society forces inspired a… moreJournal Article - 2012
Authors: Donatella della Porta; Herbert Reiter
Social conflicts tend to take different forms. This article compares three demonstrations on issues of social justice in Italy: a traditional Labor Day demonstration, a march supporting a general strike called by the largest trade union CGIL (Confederazione Generale Italiana del Lavoro, Italian General Confederation of Labour), and the EuroMayDay parade, representing a "new" type… moreWorking Paper - 2012
Author: Federico Matías Rossi
Romania was the only example of violent regime change in the central and south eastern European milieu, with massive mobilizations both in favour and against change and the execution of the dictator. In other words, there seems to have been an attempted coup d'état in Romania, one that was successful thanks to the unplanned escalation… moreChapter in edited book - 2012
Author: Donatella della Porta and Lorenzo Mosca
This chapter addresses the developments of local social forums in Italy. It looks especially at their network structures, framing and repertoires of action, as well as their consequences on the Italian social movement sector.Working Paper - 2012
Author: Grzegorz Piotrowski
The transition to democracy in 1989 in Central and Eastern Europe is said to be the achievement of the dissident sector. In Poland the biggest power in the democratization process was the Solidarność trade union. At the same time many smaller grassroots groups from that time remain unnoticed and their influence on the democratization process… moreJournal Article - 2012
Authors: Donatella della Porta; Gery Lafree
The study of radicalization and de-radicalization, understood as processes leading towards the increased or decreased use of political violence, is central to the question of how political violence emerges, how it can be prevented, and how it can be contained. The focus section of this issue of the International Journal of Conflict and Violence addresses… moreJournal Article - 2026
Journal Article - 2026
Journal Article - 2026
Edited Volume - 2026
Journal Article - 2026
Journal Article - 2026
Monograph - 2025
Journal Article - 2025
Journal Article - 2025
