Hybrid social movements in Africa

de Waal, Alex and Ibreck, Rachel. 2013. Hybrid social movements in Africa. Journal of Contemporary African Studies, 31(2), pp. 303-324. ISSN 0258-9001 [Article]

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Abstract or Description

This essay identifies patterns in the organisation and character of social movements in Africa, drawing upon examples from sub-Saharan Africa and finding connections with the 2011 ‘Arab Spring’ uprisings. It pays attention to historicising social movements, global linkages and the problem of sustaining change. Rather than defining social movements in an a priori manner, or generalising from definitions derived from the western societies, it explores their concrete meanings in Africa. Thus it aims to avoid both the ‘false negative’ of overlooking genuine African social movements and the ‘false positive’ of labelling movements in a misleading manner. It identifies constraints upon collective action in Africa, exploring the political dynamics which undermine the formation of durable and organised movements and limit their capacity to represent popular concerns.

Item Type:

Article

Identification Number (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1080/02589001.2013.781320

Keywords:

social movements, Africa, non-violence, protests, democratisation, hybrid states

Departments, Centres and Research Units:

Politics

Dates:

DateEvent
3 April 2013Published Online
21 January 2013Accepted

Item ID:

20183

Date Deposited:

07 Apr 2017 13:39

Last Modified:

30 Jun 2017 10:40

Peer Reviewed:

Yes, this version has been peer-reviewed.

URI:

https://research.gold.ac.uk/id/eprint/20183

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