Call for papers: Social movement studies in intense times

Call for papers

Social movement studies in intense times

Conference in honor of the work of Donatella Della Porta
COSMOS, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences,
Scuola Normale Superiore, Florence, Italy
3-4-5 June 2026

The theoretical and methodological tools which have been essential components of research in social movement studies are incessantly challenged as multiple crises intersect, transforming our social, political and cultural landscapes. As neoliberalism, pandemics, war, genocide, climate change, right-wing backlash challenge many achievements of progressive social movements, people actively mobilize against intersecting inequalities and democratic backsliding in the streets, schools, universities, factories, rural áreas, neighbourhoods, institutions and online. This conference seeks to provide a space for discussing research in contemporary societies in intense times – i.e. in moments of extraordinary political and social upheaaval – by addressing key questions in social movements research:

• Why do social movements emerge in, respond to, and shift in intense times?
• How do intense times shape: micro-mobilization processes? processes of disengagement? activists’ trajectories? biographical outcomes?
• How do forms of action change in intense times?
• How do social movements select their strategies in intense times?
• What is the impact of social movements in intense times?
• How do social movements interact with other actors, like political parties, interest groups or NGO’s, in intense times?
• What is the role of new communication technologies in intense times?
• How does the policing of protest change in intense times?

The conference will open with a plenary panel with the participation of Donatella Della Porta (Scuola Normale  Superiore /COSMOS), Mario Diani (Università di Trento), Olivier Fillieule (University of Lausanne), Michael  Keating (University of Aberdeen) and Sidney Tarrow (Cornell University).

In the evening, participants will  be invited to a social event. The Conference has no fees. Travel and accommodation costs are not covered.  We invite submissions from different theoretical, disciplinary and methological perspectives. To submit an  abstract please email the organizers with an abstract of no more than 250 words.

We are also looking for  volunteers to be discussants! If interested, please email to the organizers.

The deadline for all abstract  submissions is October 15, 2025. Participants to the Conference are required to write and submit a max.  7000-8000-word paper no later than 15th of May 2026, papers should be sent to cosmos@sns.it .