This summary contains notes from all the lectures the University of Amsterdam gave for its Protest Politics course. Description given by the University:
Major political transformations such as the Fall of the Berlin Wall are frequently triggered by collective protests by citizens outside conven...
Kitschelt, H. (1993). Social movements, political parties, and democratic theory. The
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 528(1), 13-29.
Herbert Kitschelt’s 1993 paper, “Social Movements, Political Parties, and Democratic
Theory,” explores the dynamics between new left-libertarian social movements and
traditional democratic practices. Kitschelt uses a comparative analysis method to examine
how these movements challenge the competitive elite democracy model by invoking
communitarian democratic theories. The study finds that these movements often arise when
established political channels fail to address new social demands, leading to innovative
participatory practices. The purpose of this research is to understand the cyclical and
structural factors driving social movements and their impact on political decision-making in
advanced capitalist democracies.
Balme, R., & Chabanet, D. (2008). European governance and democracy: Power and
protest in the EU. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield. Ch1, p21-40
In Chapter 1 of “European Governance and Democracy: Power and Protest in the EU,”
Richard Balme and Didier Chabanet explore the relationship between collective action and
democracy within the European Union. They employ a case study approach to analyse
various civil society interests, such as regional policy, unemployment, women’s rights,
migration policy, and environmental protection. The findings reveal that as support for
European integration has waned, powerful social movements have emerged, influencing EU
policies and governance structures. The purpose of this chapter is to understand how these
movements shape and are shaped by the evolving democratic processes within the EU.
Giugni, M., & Grasso, M. T. (2019). Street citizens: Protest politics and social
movement activism in the age of globalisation. Cambridge University Press. Chapter 1
In Chapter 1 of “Street Citizens: Protest Politics and Social Movement Activism in the Age of
Globalization,” Marco Giugni and Maria T. Grasso introduce the main themes and arguments
of the book. They employ a micro-mobilization analysis to examine participation in street
demonstrations, focusing on the normalisation of protest in the age of globalisation. The
chapter outlines three comparative dimensions: countries, types of demonstrations
(economic/social), and types of demonstrators (novices/activists). The purpose of this
chapter is to provide a framework for understanding the diverse motivations, social
characteristics, and networks that drive contemporary protest politics.
, della Porta, Donatella, and Nicole Doerr, 'Deliberation in Protests and Social
Movements', in Andre Bächtiger and others (eds), The Oxford Handbook of
Deliberative Democracy, Oxford Handbooks (2018; online edn, Oxford Academic, 9
Oct. 2018)
In “Deliberation in Protests and Social Movements,” Donatella della Porta and Nicole Doerr
examine the interplay between social movements and deliberative democracy. They use a
theoretical analysis to explore how social movements incorporate deliberative practices both
internally and in their interactions with political institutions. The chapter highlights the
tensions and opportunities that arise when social movements adopt deliberative norms, such
as inclusiveness, equality, and transparency. The purpose of this work is to understand how
these movements contribute to democratic innovation and address the challenges of
representative democracy.
Old versus New social movements
In summary, old social movements focused on economic and political issues, were led by
formal organisations, and used traditional methods of protest, while new social movements
focused on cultural and social issues, were more decentralised and diverse, and used new
tactics such as social media and cultural resistance (Maps of India)
Issues Economic inequality and Post Material, cultural
redistribution issues
Relationship with the state Seize state power Sceptical of state power
Examples Environmental movements, BLM, LGBT, Gender
Labour movements equality
The cyclical view of protest politics suggests that protests and social movements occur in
waves, often in response to changing political, social, or economic conditions. These waves
are temporary, rising when certain triggers (such as economic crises or political repression)
occur and subsiding as those conditions change. It emphasises the periodic nature of
protests, driven by short-term factors.
The structuralist view, on the other hand, argues that protests are deeply rooted in long-term
structural factors, such as class relations, institutional inequalities, or systemic power
imbalances. From this perspective, protests are not just spontaneous or periodic but are a
reflection of enduring social and economic structures that drive discontent.
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