Lapina Natalia Yur’evna – ScD in Political Sciences, Principal Researcher, Head of the Department of global problems, INION RAN
Social (public) movements are understood in the article as the social activity of individual groups or the population as a whole, aimed at changing / correcting the political course pursued by the authorities or, in a broader sense, the political regime. Theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of social movements are analyzed, the differences between the American and European schools in the study of the problem are accentuated. The socio-economic consequences of the entry of the countries of the world into the global economy, changes in the social structure of society, the growth of inequality in the world and within individual countries, the formation of ”peripheral zones“ where representatives of the “lower classes” live in a vulnerable position are studied. The specific features of global protest movements are revealed: their duration and “flickering” activity; the role of social networks; exchange of “social experience”. It is shown how ideas and demands from one country are “transferred” to other countries and how protest becomes a global phenomenon. At the same time, the global movements of the new generation are enriched, increasingly taking into account the peculiarities of regional and country experience. Particular attention is paid to the relationship between social movements and political parties. It is revealed how political parties are trying to use social protest to achieve their goals. Country specific differences in this interaction are shown: in the United States, the leading political parties rely on protest movements, while in France this scenario fails to materialize. The question is raised how to make civil society strong in the face of globalization.
social / public movements, protest, violence, globalization, civil society, UK, USA, France, Italy.
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