Progressive Social Movements and the Creation of European Public Spheres

Bibliographic Data

ID8038243
AuthorsDonatella Della Porta (0000-0002-5239-8773, Scuola Normale Superiore, corresponding author)
Year2022
Volume39
Issue4
Pages51-65
Publication date2022-07-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueTheory Culture & Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0263-2764 • E-ISSN: 1460-3616
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/02632764221103510
OpenAlexW4283768953
LanguageEN
Citations received12
References cited41

While the normative debate on European integration has addressed the importance of the construction of truly democratic institutions as well as the establishment of social rights at EU level, the role of progressive social movements has not been much debated. Building upon theorization and research in social movement studies, I argue that progressive social movements are indeed already contributing to the construction of European public spheres. Not one liberal (or bourgeois), public sphere but the proliferation of subaltern counterpublics could allow for the participation of the excluded, giving them the possibility to make their political voice heard. Through different paths of Europeanization (in particular, domestication, externalization and transnationalization), progressive social movements have played an important role in the creation of a critical public sphere as, by contesting European institutions, they have contributed to make them (more) accountable, but have also developed collective identities at EU level and, with them, European public spheres. A main challenge is now to connect an emancipatory critical public to public institutions

European union · New social movements · Normative · Political economy · Political science · Politics · Public sphere · Social movement · Sociology · Labor Movements and Unions · Law · Populism, Right-Wing Movements · Social Policy and Reform Studies

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