Social Movements and the Deepening of Democracy

This part of Mobilizing for Democracy addresses the deepening of democracy. Research is underway on recent campaigns of protest for “real” or “direct” democracy, embedding these protests in the historical development of social, political and cultural systems. A volume titled Bringing Capitalism Back In. Protest and Democracy in Times of Crisis is forthcoming with Polity Press; another on Spreading Protest is forthcoming with ECPR Press. Another volume, on Participatory democracy in Southern Europe has been just published by Rowman and Littlefield.

Researchers working on this part of the project, based on in depth-interviews and press analysis, include:

On protests against austerity:

• Massimiliano Andretta on Italy
• Tiago Fernandes on Portugal
• Joseba Fernandez on Spain
• Francis O’Connor on Ireland
• Eduardo Romanos on Spain
• Markos Vogiatzoglou on Greece, Iceland and Cyprus

On conceptions of democracy in specific movements

• Matteo Cernison on environmental conflicts
• Lorenzo Cini on student movements

On the “2013 protest”

• Kivanc Atak, on the Gezi Park protests in Turkey
• Chiara Milan, on protests in 2013 in Bosnia
• Mariana Mendes, on protests in 2013 in Brasil
• Juan Masullo, on protests in Latin America
• Francis O’ Connor on South Africa
• Julia Rone, on protests in 2013 in Bulgaria

On social movements in institutional politics

• Daniela Chironi, on social movements within political parties
• Francis O’ Connor, on mobilization from below for the consultation on Catalonia independence
• Martin Portos, on mobilization from below for the consultation on Catalonia independence
• Anna Subirats, on mobilization from below for the consultation on Catalonia independence

On Movement Parties during Crisis

• Hara Kouki, on Syriza and Social Movements in Greece
• Joseba Fernandez, on Podemos and Social Movements in Spain