Democracy in the European Social Forums: Conceptions and Practices (Routledge ECPR Studies in European Political Science)

Given the recent focus on the challenges to representative democracy, and the search for new institutions and procedures that can help to channel increasing participation, this book offers empirical insights on alternative conceptions of democracy and the actors that promote them. With a focus on the conceptions and practices of democracy within contemporary social movements in Europe, this volume contributes to the debate on the different dimensions of democracy, especially in its participative and deliberative forms. On the basis of an in-depth analysis of European Social Forums, gathering thousands of social movement organizations and tens of thousands of activists from all Europe, the book explores the transnational dimension of democracy and addresses a relevant, and little analyzed aspect of Europeanization: the Europeanization of social movements. From a methodological point of view, the research innovates by covering a group of individuals traditionally neglected in previous studies: social movement activists. Qualitative and quantitative methods are employed to research individual motivations as well as environmental dynamics. The various chapters combine analysis of the individuals’ attitudes and behavior with that of the organizational characteristics, procedures and practices of democracy. Providing a cross-national comparison on the global justice movement, the theoretical challenges of the new wave of protest and offering rich empirical data on contemporary activism, this book will appeal to students and scholars of comparative politics, sociology, political sociology, social movement studies, as well as transnational relations. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 8 Copyright......Page 9 Contents......Page 10 Figures......Page 12 Tables......Page 13 Contributors......Page 15 Acknowledgements......Page 18 Series editor’s preface......Page 19 Part I......Page 22 1 Another Europe: An introduction......Page 24 2 The ESF organizing process in a diachronic perspective......Page 47 3 Communicating the European Social Forum......Page 67 4 Models of democracy: How activists see democracy in the movement......Page 86 5 Democracy from below: Activists and institutions......Page 107 Part II......Page 130 6 The social bases of the GJM mobilization and democratic norms......Page 132 7 The organizational dimension: How organizational formality, voice, and influence affect mobilization and participation......Page 149 8 Novel characteristics of the GJM: A (latent) network analysis approach......Page 170 9 Parties, unions, and movements: The European Left and the ESF......Page 194 10 Protest and the forum: Forms of participation in the global justice movement......Page 225 11 Another Europe: Some conclusions......Page 246 Appendix: Questionnaire for participants of the European Social Forum in Athens 2006......Page 260 References......Page 269 Index......Page 287

Given the focus on the challenges to representative democracy and the search for new institutions and procedures to help increase participation, this book offers empirical insights on alternative conceptions of democracy and the actors that promote the

Given the focus on the challenges to representative democracy and the search for new institutions and procedures to help increase participation, this book offers empirical insights on alternative conceptions of democracy and the actors that promote them Given the focus on the challenges to representative democracy and the search for new institutions and procedures to help increase participation, this text offers empirical insights on alternative conceptions of democracy and the actors that promote them Edited By Donatella Della Porta. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [248]-265) And Index.