Course objectives: The course introduces students to major theoretical approaches used in research of social movements and provides an overview of various empirical studies of protests and social mobilizations in Southeast Europe. This course aims to contribute to understanding of political and social dynamics of contemporary Southeast Europe.

The course has two key objectives:

1) provide an overview of major theoretical approaches and debates in social movement studies,

2) develop understanding of contemporary social movements and protests in Southeast Europe within the frameworks of dominant theoretical perspectives and distinct social and political settings and specific country cases.

Enrolment requirements and/or entry competences required for the course: None

Learning outcomes at the level of the programme to which the course contributes:

(1) Critically assess and apply theoretical approaches to the analysis of phenomena and processes in Southeast Europe

(2) Recognize and explain the ways in which local, national, and transnational processes influence social structures in Southeast Europe

(3) Analyse political ideas and processes in Southeast Europe

Expected learning outcomes at the level of the course:

After successful completion of the course students will be able to:

(1) Explain the main theories and concepts used in social movements studies

(2) Apply social movement theory and concepts to specific cases in Southeast European countries

(3) Identify and explain specific ethical and methodological issues in social movement research

(4) Explain and assess impacts of social movements and protests on political processes and social change in the region of Southeast Europe

Course content (syllabus): The first part of the course covers the theoretical analysis of key concepts related to collective action and social mobilization, such as difference between social movements and interest groups, political parties, fan groups and other phenomena. We will explore key theoretical approaches and cover thematic units related to the issues of resource mobilization, political opportunity structures and cultural approaches in the analysis of social movements. Class readings is used to explain issues of tactical repertoire, strategies and interpretive frameworks, mobilization, ideology, protest waves and cycles of collective action, interaction of social movements and protest groups and traditional political and social actors.

The second part of the course deals with specific cases of contemporary social movements or current protests. We will explore significant social protests and movements in Southeast Europe related to democratization, peacebuilding, environmental protection and exploitation of natural resources, urban space, neoliberal policies and austerity measures, gender and other social cleavages. Through weekly readings we will try to explore commonalities and particularities of social movements in Southeast Europe, major waves of mobilization and compare theoretical perspectives in the study of protests and movements in Southeast Europe with approaches used in other social and political contexts (e.g. reliance on mass society perspective, use of civil society concepts, NGOization, etc.).

Format of instruction: Lectures, seminars and workshops 

Student responsibilities:      

(1) Presence and active participation in class discussions (30% of final grade).

(2) One mid-term paper on a specific topic and presentation in class (30% of final grade).

(3) One term paper (max. 2500 words). The paper should analyze concrete example of a social movement, protest or a case of contentious politics in South East Europe. In preparing the final paper student should rely on the concepts and theoretical approaches studied in the course, as well as on relevant other literature or data. (40% of final grade).

Monitoring student work: Class attendance, seminar paper, written exam

1. Snow, David A.; Soule, Sarah A.; Kriesi, Hanspeter, eds. 2004. The Blackwell Companion to Social Movements. Blackwell Publishing.
2. Císař, Ondřej, 2018. Social movements after communism. In: Adam Fagan and Petr Kopecký, eds. The Routledge Handbook of East European Politics. London and New York: Routledge. 184-196.
3. Ekiert, Grzegorz; Kubik, Jan, 2018. The study of protest politics in Eastern Europe in the search of theory. In: Adam Fagan and Petr Kopecký, eds. The Routledge Handbook of East European Politics. London and New York: Routledge. 197-209.    

1. Beissinger, Marc R. and Gwendolyn Sasse. 2014. An End to ‘Patience’? The Great Recession and Economic Protest in Eastern Europe. In: Nancy Bermeo and Larry M. Bartels eds. Mass Politics in Tough Times. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 334–370.
2. Bieber, Florian and Brentin, Dario, eds. 2019. Social Movements in the Balkans. Rebellion and Protest from Maribor to Taksim. New York: Routledge.
3. della Porta, Donatella, 2014. Methodological Practices in Social Movement Research. Oxford: Oxford University Press
4. Fagan, Adam; Sircar, Indraneel, eds. 2019. Activist Citizenship in Southeast Europe. Oxon, New York: Routledge.
5. Jacobsson, Kerstin and Saxonberg, Steven, eds. 2013. Beyond NGO-ization: The Development of Social Movements in Central and Eastern Europe. Farnham: Ashgate.
6. Jacobsson, Kerstin, ed. 2015. Urban Grassroots Movements in Central and Eastern Europe. Farnham: Ashgate.
7. Kopecký, Petr and Mudde, Cas, eds. 2003. Uncivil Society? Contentious Politics in Post-Communist Europe. London: Routledge.
8. Kubik, Jan; Linch, Amy, eds. 2013. Postcommunism From Within: Social Justice, Mobilization, and Hegemony. New York: New York University Press
9. Miškovska Kajevska, Ana, 2017. Feminist Activism at War. Belgrade and Zagreb Feminists in the 1990s. New York and London: Routledge.
10. Stoyanova, Veronika, 2018. Ideology and Social Protests in Eastern Europe. Beyond the Transition’s Liberal Consensus. New York and London: Routledge.