Call for papers to conference on movements and morality

The impetus for the conference stems from the feeling of a need to revisit the normative foundations of collective action and research in social movements in light of a societal development that has been described as a return to the US ‘gilded age’: An age of increasing material inequality and concentration of power and influence within a small elite. At the same time, the financial crisis and the climate crisis, as well as war and conflict and the displacement of millions of people has led to mobilization and ‘populism’ on both the right and the left in the US and Europe. This situation calls for an evaluation of the moral principles that are acted upon and that may thwart or foster hopes of a better future.
 

While social movements studies have made great progress when it comes to questions of mobilization, identity, framing, spread, diffusion, recruitment etc. research into the moral and normative experiences and principles that collective action implicitly or explicitly relies upon has not received the same attention. In addition, after the fear of the mob of the early 20th century had settled, social movement scholars have been motivated by a sympathetic attitude towards the movements studied. But this attitude has often not been

supported by a developed normative position.
 

This conference aims to explore these matters: How can social movement scholars explicate the normative principles and experiences of those they study? How can scholars develop their own normative position? And could social movement scholars help locate, develop, and spread languages of collective commitment?

For the full call click here.