Relational outcomes and collective action

Call for Papers
RELATIONAL OUTCOMES AND COLLECTIVE ACTION

16-17 March 2023
Scuola Normale Superiore, Florence

Conference Organizers: Alessandra Lo Piccolo (SNS), Federica Stagni (SNS), Lorenzo Bosi (SN)

Keynotes: Mario Diani (University of Trento), Nella Van Dyke (University of California, Merced)

Conference Abstract:

Research on the consequences of collective action is a flourishing subfield of Political Sciences and Sociology. Over the years, scholars have investigated the internal and external impacts of collective action in organizational, political, cultural, biographical, economic, and legal realms. However, fewer contributions have explicitly considered the connection between the social outcome of collective mobilization and its relational dimensions. This involves looking at pre-existing ties and the emergence of connections through collective action. What relational mechanisms and strategies foster the occurrence of collective action outcomes? Can “relational outcomes” be considered a specific consequence of collective action episodes? To what extent do the characteristics of coalitions and alliances influence the consequences of collective action? Up to now, these focal questions remain mostly under-investigated.

The conference aims to fill these gaps by shedding light on the relational consequences of collective action at the micro, meso, and macro levels. It focuses on how the interactions within and between activists, challengers, targets, and audiences influence processes of biographical, political, cultural, and social change. Furthermore, it asks to what extent relationships can be intended as outcomes of collective action per se, utilizing relational methods. To foster a conversation among academics who have a deep interest in understanding the role of relations as agents and results of mobilization, we welcome contributions that investigate: