International Conference

9-10 February 2012

Bizkaia Aretoa UPV-EHU, Bilbao

You can find below a link to the conference website. In order to fill out the registration form you will need to use the following code: Bilbao. Mind that every participant (whether main author, co-author or auditor) needs to register for the conference and pay the corresponding fees.

http://www.amiando.com/XYMKXBT

Bilbao offers a wide range of lodging possibilities. A three-star hotel may cost between 50 and 70 euros, with breakfast (and sometimes wireless Internet connection) included. Some recommendable hotels are:

– Bilbao Jardines

– Barceló Hotel Nervión

– Petit Palace Arana Bilbao

– Best Western Bilbao Conde Duque

– Abando

– Ercilla and Hesperia Bilbao

There are, of course, more economical and expensive facilities. We have found the prices provided by the University’s Travel Agency to be higher than those available online. We thus advise participants to make their reservations individually, taking into consideration their possibilities and necessities.

The conference will take place at the Bizkaia Aretoa, a University building located on Avenida Abandoibarra 3, right by the Guggenheim Museum. Please, dial (+34) 94-601-8100 if you need help with directions. Below you can find a link to a Google map with the building’s location and available means of transportation.

http://g.co/maps/zkczr

See you in Bilbao!

ISA RC48 – Social Movements, Collective Action and Social Change

FROM SOCIAL TO POLITICS. NEW FORMS OF MOBILIZATION AND DEMOCRATIZATION

University of Bilbao – Spain

^9th – 10^th February 2012

Please send your call for papers (deadline 30^th November 2011) proposal to Conference Organisers:

Antimo Luigi Farro – antimoluigi.farro@uniroma1.it

Benjamin Tejerina – b.tejerina@ehu.es

OBJETIVES AND THEME

In the recent evolution of contemporary social movements three phases can be identified.

The first phase is marked both by the labour movement and the systemic importance attributed to the labour conflict in industrial society. A conflict interpreted by Emile Durkheim as a shortcoming of social integration, by Max Weber as a rational conflict by entrepreneurs and workers interests, and a central class struggle for society transformation by the view of Karl Marx.

The second phase of development of social movements takes on new social movements of the sixties and seventies of the XX century, such as students, women and environmentalists movements of post-industrial society. Actions whose sense and meaning are explained mainly by two new analytical perspectives: resource mobilization theory (McAdam and Tilly) that focuses on the study of rational attitudes of these actions and conflicts; and actionalist sociology, which aims to identify new central actors of the conflicts in the post-industrial society, as labour movement was in industrial society.

The third phase emerges in a world framed by the ascendancy of market, the prominent role of financial capital flows, communitarian closure and fundamentalism, and refers to movements of affirmation of human rights and democracy as alternatives to global domination and systemic conditioning of individual and groups.

The objective of this conference is to foster theoretical reflections and to present empirical evidences regarding some of the recent mobilizations that took place in the Mediterranean area and that have two very clearly distinguished threads. On the one hand, there are the mobilizations that reveal the need to open space to democracy by asking for political reforms and democratization processes in countries such as Tunez, Egypt, Morocco, Libya and Syria, among other. On the other hand, numerous discontent displays regarding the political management of economical crisis and the shrinking of the Welfare State in South Europe triggered mobilizations such as 15-M in Spain, “Indignez-vous” in France, Italy and Greece and other protests organized by young people and students in England and Belgium.

Bringing together different networks and orientations around social movements, expressed by the two ISA Research Committees 47 and 48, this conference offers the opportunity to debate around the changes and the meanings of social movements of the twenty-first century. In special, we are interested in analysing the antecedents, the influence of social and political conditions, the movement’s nature regarding organization, forms of protest, claims, causes, protagonists, role of social media and to spot the meaning of these relatively new forms of protest beyond the action repertoire.

ORGANIZATION

The general structure of the Conference has provided different ways for participation. One of them is the organization of academic sessions. Each thematic session will consist of the presentation of a guest lecturer for 20 minutes, four oral communications for 15 minutes each, and five communications presented in poster format.

The final constitution of these thematic sessions will be a posteriori, when all communications are received and the Scientific Committee has made the selection of oral communications and posters. All communications will have the same status for the issuance of participation certificates. A prerequisite for presenting a communication is to be properly enrolled in the Conference. Regarding a possible publication –still in consideration- of the full papers participants must adapt the texts to a model that will be sent later.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

The abstracts of communications should be sent to the organization of the Congress based on the following criteria:

• Length: Maximum 1000 words. It is considered that a minimum of 700 words is required to provide enough information to evaluate the proposal.

• Languages: Communications must be submitted only in English.

• Contents: All abstracts must have the following information:

a) Communication information.

– Title.

b) Author’s information.

– Surname, first name.

– Email address.

– Affiliation.

c) Work content.

– Kind of work: describe briefly if it is a theoretical reflection, an qualitative/quantitative empirical research, a case study or a comparative analysis;

–  3 key words;

– Description of the object and/or main subject of the work;

– Methodology;

– Main findings, conclusions and/or contributions;

– References; bibliography.

d) Other elements which are considered of interest: e.g. if the proposal is framed in a competitive research project or international research project.

PARALLEL ACTIVITIES

We are opening the possibility to organise a parallel exhibition of graphic material related to the congress. Formats admitted are:

–       Photos of manifestations: in case you have been involved or had the chance to observe these movements in person we would appreciate if you could share your materials, like photos, leaflets picked in locus, posters, etc.. Send us your links to Flickr, Facebook, or any other social network in which your photos are posted.

–       Videos of mobilizations that can be posted in Social Networks like Youtube, Vimeo, etc.;

–       Recordings of interviews, direct testimonies (in mp3, mp4) or posted in Social Media Platforms;

–       Interesting websites (webography related to these movements that can be consulted during the conference; like bloggs, movements websites, etc.).

If you have any other ideas relating contents for these parallel activities please feel free to contact us and we will evaluate the possibility of including them.