Social Movements and Social Policy: New Research Horizons

Abstract

Across the globe, movements are confronting states and elites, challenging inequalities and mobilising for greater justice, a stronger voice, and progressive policy changes. In this article, I bridge the divide between Social Policy and the interdisciplinary field of Social Movement Studies. I examine how and why social movements, as actors in policy fields and social movement theories, matter for social policy. I argue that research on social movements as actors and engagement with social movement theories can open new horizons in Social Policy research by advancing our understanding of the politics of policy from a global perspective and strengthening our analytical and explanatory frameworks of agency, ideas, and power in the study of continuity and change of policy.

The #MeToo legacy and “the Collective Us”: conceptualising accountability for sexual misconduct at work

“…One way to explore such insights is through social movement theory (Ishkanian, 2022; La Torre et al ., 2022). “The Collective Us” could disintegrate one day, and then “suddenly” be empowered and mobilised around a shared idea or target.…”

“…The study is grounded in the interdisciplinary perspectives of social accountability and occupational management and ethics. It mobilises the theory of social movements (Della Porta and Diani, 2020;Ishkanian, 2022;Morris, 2000), emphasising the role of community activism and dialogic organising in the mobilisation of collective awareness, persuasion and solidarity and turning the legacies of protest into new social and organisational practices (Chomsky, 2017;Gallhofer et al, 2011;O'Leary, 2017;Vachhani and Pullen, 2019). The study also engages with research on the intellectual problematics of accountability (Blader and Rothman, 2014;Messner, 2009;Roberts, 2009) to understand how the accountability of actors is shaped by their engagement with "the Other" (Butler, 2005;Yates et al, 2020).…”

“…The study is grounded in the interdisciplinary perspectives of social accountability and occupational management and ethics. It mobilises the theory of social movements (Della Porta and Diani, 2020; Ishkanian, 2022; Morris, 2000), emphasising the role of community activism and dialogic organising in the mobilisation of collective awareness, persuasion and solidarity and turning the legacies of protest into new social and organisational practices (Chomsky, 2017; Gallhofer et al. , 2011; O'Leary, 2017; Vachhani and Pullen, 2019).…”

The Participation of People in Vulnerable Situations in Interest Organisations: A Qualitative Study of Representatives Views

“…People in vulnerable situations are described as people who experience inequality, discrimination, and a lack of fundamental human rights (Peroni & Timmer, 2013). In this paper, we focus on people with intellectual disabilities, people with dementia, asylum seekers, people with substance use problems, and children in contact with child welfare services and add to the ongoing discussion about how these people can obtain a stronger voice in welfare development (Gathen et al, 2022;Ishkanian, 2022).…”

Escape from Politics: Is There a Future for Youth Political Protests in Siberia and the Far East?

“…общественные волнения рассматривались как формы существования общественных движений (например, М. Зальдом, Р. Эшем), возникающие в результате объединения стихийных и неорганизованных реакций на социальное неравенство, резких изменений в социуме, то с 1970-х гг. протест определяется исследователями (теории политического процесса и мобилизации ресурсов; теория новых общественных движений [Buechler 2013;Ishkanian 2022] В начале XXI в. все чаще объектом научного изучения становятся молодежные протесты Романов, Мещерина, Коротаев 2021;Shentyakova, Grishin 2021;Renström, Aspernäs, Bäck 2021]. Так, к одному из ключевых факторов роста протестных настроений в социуме, наряду с другими, исследователи относят рост численности молодежи в демографической структуре [Горшков, Шереги 2020;Grasso, Giugni 2022].…”