How do the interactions between different generations of activists their shape goals, strategies and visions of an alternative future?
Projektets syfte är att publicera två forskningsartiklar som undersöker hur interaktioner mellan aktivister från olika generationer påverkar deras mål, strategier och visioner om en alternativ framtid. Generationsbegreppet har återupplivats inom tre forskningsområden; studier av ungdomar globalt, sociala rörelser i Nordamerika och ungas politiska engagemang i Latinamerika. Begreppet förklarar hur historiska förutsättningar vid tidpunkten när unga vuxna närmar sig vuxen ålder, på sikt påverkar deras politiska handlande. Detta projekt bidrar därför till befintlig forskning genom att fokusera på interaktioner mellan olika generationer. Kvalitativa intervjuer har genomförts med fyrtio feministiska aktivister från två generationer i Ecuador och Peru (unga vuxna respektive vuxna). Hittills har endast resultaten från intervjuerna med de unga vuxna publicerats. I detta projekt kommer jag att publicera den jämförande analysen av de båda generationerna aktivister och deras interaktioner med varandra. Tre huvudaktiviteter kommer att genomföras. Jag kommer att genomföra den jämförande analysen utifrån ett interaktionistiskt perspektiv på social organisation, med fokus på genus och ålder i den Latinamerikanska kontexten. Därefter kommer jag att utveckla två manus för publicering i internationella tidskrifter. Jag kommer även att besöka sociologiska institutionen vid University of Vermont för att utveckla forskningssamarbeten.
Final report
Purpose
This RJ Sabbatical project aimed to publish two original research articles that explored how the interactions between different generations of activism shaped their goals, strategies, and visions of an alternative future.
Implementation
I worked 90% of fulltime on this project between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. I had a two-month visit to the Department of Sociology, University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, USA from February 2 to April 4, 2023.
I began this project by writing up the findings of the comparative analysis of two generations of feminist activism in Peru and Ecuador and their interactions with one another. This analysis was based on forty-five qualitative interviews that I had gathered in 2012.
I divided this activity up into two periods. In the first period, I focused exclusively on the findings for the first manuscript on the two generations’ construction of goals and strategies. I further collected, read, and synthesized existing literature needed for that manuscript. Once I had a well-developed draft of the first manuscript, I began the second period in which I focused on writing up the findings for the second manuscript on the two generations’ construction of alternative visions. I further collected, read, and synthesize existing literature needed for that manuscript.
Based on these findings, I prepared and submitted two manuscripts for publication in two peer-reviewed generalist journals in sociology, one of which is accepted for publication and the other is under review.
Most important results
My findings make several contributions to the international research front.
First, my findings captured the interactions between each generation of feminist activism and the political contexts at the time when it was mobilized. Both generations interacted with the same two socio-political conditions - prevailing gender relations and notions of political action. Yet, because each cohort was mobilized in separate historical periods, these interactions took different forms, thereby shaping each cohort’s distinct understandings and practices of feminist activism. Moreover, these interactions continued to have consequences for movement goals, strategies, and relationships overtime. For the earlier generation in both Peru and Ecuador, which became active between the late 1970s and early 1990s, consequences meant practicing militancy to achieve goals, deploying vanguardism to execute a comprehensive strategy, and exerting autonomy to manage the actions of the powerful.
This result contribute to the international research on political generations in social movements, which is anchored in Mannheim’s theory. Political generations form when new movement recruits respond to shifting political contexts and become agents of change within a social movement. A key challenge with previous research has been linking movement agency with political contexts. I address this challenge by turning attention to the interactions between movement agency and political contexts.
Second, my findings captured the interactions between the two generations of feminist activism in Ecuador and Peru through which they constructed long-term visions in four stages: interrupting the course of gender hierarchies, getting policy change put into practice, making feminist discourses and practices accessible, and re-politicizing feminist activism. The earlier generation was the driving force during the first two stages and focused on alternative gender relations, whereas the later generation was the driving force during the latter two stages and focused on alternative feminist mobilizing. These differences can be explained by the interactions between the two generations of activism and their respective control over time. The earlier generation was the sole protagonist of self-identified feminist activism for two decades prior to the emergence of the later generation, allowing the former to develop a track record that stood on its own. Meanwhile, the later generation co-existed with the earlier generation from its inception and had to develop its track record in relation to that generation. The earlier generation clearly had a longer period to accumulate expertise and develop an established, stable trajectory. In contrast, the later generation had a shorter period to accumulate experience and was still early on and more flexible in its trajectory.
This result contributes to the international research by bridging two key aspects of social movements – long-term visions and the formation of political generations – that are currently examined separately in the literature. Moreover, I bridge these two key aspects by turning attention to control of time.
New research questions generated through the project.
While working on the two manuscripts, it became clear that even though the two generations of feminist activists had distinct targets, both prioritized relationships with other collective actors that were not immediate targets. Previous research has long focused on the relationship between social movements and their targets, especially in studies of outcome attainment. However, current research demonstrates the importance of social movements’ relationships in a wider organizational environment or field for not only mobilization but also outcome attainment. This suggests that the mechanism of change for movements to attain outcomes must encompass relationships with other collective actors, not just targets. Two new research questions can be identified from my study: how do social movements build relationships with other collective actors over the long-term and why this relationship-building matters for their outcome attainment. Answers to these questions are needed to develop a more comprehensive account of the mechanism of change underlying social movement outcome attainment and thereby advance current scholarship.
International Dimensions
From February 6 to March 31, 2023, I visited the Department of Sociology at the University of Vermont. This visit was a truly rewarding experience on several levels as it gave me the opportunity to develop a close collegial relationship with Professor Alice Fothergill, her colleagues and department. Professor Forthergill and I were able to build a strong collaboration and she is planning to visit my department at Umeå University between August and September 2024.
Disseminating Results
In addition to writing up scientific articles, I gave three oral presentations of my findings during this project. First, on March 6th, 2023, I presented my findings at a public event for faculty, students, and community members at the University of Vermont. This event was co- sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Women’s Studies Department. Second, I presented my first manuscript at a research seminar at my the Department of Sociology at Umeå University on May 3, 2023. Third, I presented my second manuscript at the International Sociological Association’s World Congress in the session Future Visions, Strategies, and Contentious Politics Part II, held on July 1, 2023.
Publications
1.Coe, Anna-Britt. “The formation and consequences of political generations in social movements: Cases of feminist activism in Ecuador and Peru.” Accepted for publication in Sociological Forum on June 27, 2023.
2.Coe, Anna-Britt. “How do social movements construct long-term visions through interactions between generations of activism? Cases of feminist activism in Peru and Ecuador.” Submitted to Sociological Perspectives on June 27, 2023.
This RJ Sabbatical project aimed to publish two original research articles that explored how the interactions between different generations of activism shaped their goals, strategies, and visions of an alternative future.
Implementation
I worked 90% of fulltime on this project between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. I had a two-month visit to the Department of Sociology, University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont, USA from February 2 to April 4, 2023.
I began this project by writing up the findings of the comparative analysis of two generations of feminist activism in Peru and Ecuador and their interactions with one another. This analysis was based on forty-five qualitative interviews that I had gathered in 2012.
I divided this activity up into two periods. In the first period, I focused exclusively on the findings for the first manuscript on the two generations’ construction of goals and strategies. I further collected, read, and synthesized existing literature needed for that manuscript. Once I had a well-developed draft of the first manuscript, I began the second period in which I focused on writing up the findings for the second manuscript on the two generations’ construction of alternative visions. I further collected, read, and synthesize existing literature needed for that manuscript.
Based on these findings, I prepared and submitted two manuscripts for publication in two peer-reviewed generalist journals in sociology, one of which is accepted for publication and the other is under review.
Most important results
My findings make several contributions to the international research front.
First, my findings captured the interactions between each generation of feminist activism and the political contexts at the time when it was mobilized. Both generations interacted with the same two socio-political conditions - prevailing gender relations and notions of political action. Yet, because each cohort was mobilized in separate historical periods, these interactions took different forms, thereby shaping each cohort’s distinct understandings and practices of feminist activism. Moreover, these interactions continued to have consequences for movement goals, strategies, and relationships overtime. For the earlier generation in both Peru and Ecuador, which became active between the late 1970s and early 1990s, consequences meant practicing militancy to achieve goals, deploying vanguardism to execute a comprehensive strategy, and exerting autonomy to manage the actions of the powerful.
This result contribute to the international research on political generations in social movements, which is anchored in Mannheim’s theory. Political generations form when new movement recruits respond to shifting political contexts and become agents of change within a social movement. A key challenge with previous research has been linking movement agency with political contexts. I address this challenge by turning attention to the interactions between movement agency and political contexts.
Second, my findings captured the interactions between the two generations of feminist activism in Ecuador and Peru through which they constructed long-term visions in four stages: interrupting the course of gender hierarchies, getting policy change put into practice, making feminist discourses and practices accessible, and re-politicizing feminist activism. The earlier generation was the driving force during the first two stages and focused on alternative gender relations, whereas the later generation was the driving force during the latter two stages and focused on alternative feminist mobilizing. These differences can be explained by the interactions between the two generations of activism and their respective control over time. The earlier generation was the sole protagonist of self-identified feminist activism for two decades prior to the emergence of the later generation, allowing the former to develop a track record that stood on its own. Meanwhile, the later generation co-existed with the earlier generation from its inception and had to develop its track record in relation to that generation. The earlier generation clearly had a longer period to accumulate expertise and develop an established, stable trajectory. In contrast, the later generation had a shorter period to accumulate experience and was still early on and more flexible in its trajectory.
This result contributes to the international research by bridging two key aspects of social movements – long-term visions and the formation of political generations – that are currently examined separately in the literature. Moreover, I bridge these two key aspects by turning attention to control of time.
New research questions generated through the project.
While working on the two manuscripts, it became clear that even though the two generations of feminist activists had distinct targets, both prioritized relationships with other collective actors that were not immediate targets. Previous research has long focused on the relationship between social movements and their targets, especially in studies of outcome attainment. However, current research demonstrates the importance of social movements’ relationships in a wider organizational environment or field for not only mobilization but also outcome attainment. This suggests that the mechanism of change for movements to attain outcomes must encompass relationships with other collective actors, not just targets. Two new research questions can be identified from my study: how do social movements build relationships with other collective actors over the long-term and why this relationship-building matters for their outcome attainment. Answers to these questions are needed to develop a more comprehensive account of the mechanism of change underlying social movement outcome attainment and thereby advance current scholarship.
International Dimensions
From February 6 to March 31, 2023, I visited the Department of Sociology at the University of Vermont. This visit was a truly rewarding experience on several levels as it gave me the opportunity to develop a close collegial relationship with Professor Alice Fothergill, her colleagues and department. Professor Forthergill and I were able to build a strong collaboration and she is planning to visit my department at Umeå University between August and September 2024.
Disseminating Results
In addition to writing up scientific articles, I gave three oral presentations of my findings during this project. First, on March 6th, 2023, I presented my findings at a public event for faculty, students, and community members at the University of Vermont. This event was co- sponsored by the Department of Sociology and Women’s Studies Department. Second, I presented my first manuscript at a research seminar at my the Department of Sociology at Umeå University on May 3, 2023. Third, I presented my second manuscript at the International Sociological Association’s World Congress in the session Future Visions, Strategies, and Contentious Politics Part II, held on July 1, 2023.
Publications
1.Coe, Anna-Britt. “The formation and consequences of political generations in social movements: Cases of feminist activism in Ecuador and Peru.” Accepted for publication in Sociological Forum on June 27, 2023.
2.Coe, Anna-Britt. “How do social movements construct long-term visions through interactions between generations of activism? Cases of feminist activism in Peru and Ecuador.” Submitted to Sociological Perspectives on June 27, 2023.