From 'Parallel Polis' to 'The Time of the Tribes': Post-Socialism, Social Self-Organization and Post-Modernity

Lagerspetz, Mikko

doi:10.1080/714003577

Cited by 16 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…This is similar to the role the elites played in the parallel or second societies in the former Warsaw Pact nations beginning in the 1970s, although in this case many of these "second societies" have more to do with marshalling resources to enhance survival than expressing political claims (Lagerspetz, 2001). This does not quite reach the level of classic social movement resource mobilization (MacCarthy and Zald, 1973) since the efforts are highly localized instead of placing demands on the existing system.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“Parallel poleis”: Towards a theoretical framework of the modern public sphere, civic engagement and the structural advantages of the internet to foster and maintain parallel socio-political institutions

Lagos

Coopman

Tomhave

2013

New Media & Society

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The role of the internet in large-scale demonstrations, as witnessed in the Arab Spring, has been debated and reflects continued interest in the intermingling of social movements and digital technology. Yet behind these large photogenic events stand other less obvious social activities that may be equally profound, particularly in the form of alternative institutional frameworks that better meet the social needs of individuals than current models. We categorize these "dissident" frameworks as "parallel poleis" as developed by Czech philosopher and activist Vaclav Benda and offer two case studies to support this contention. At the heart of parallel poleis lies the notion that digital technologies are uniquely positioned to reflect and facilitate the political expressions of individuals due to low-cost transactions, ease of use and large social network reach

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“Parallel poleis”: Towards a theoretical framework of the modern public sphere, civic engagement and the structural advantages of the internet to foster and maintain parallel socio-political institutions

Lagos

Coopman

Tomhave

2013

New Media & Society

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“…This legacy has been reflected in a reliance on the state to deal with problems, passivity when faced with challenges from the state, and alienation from the political system. The lack of experience with participation and low levels of trust lead to a reliance on informal networks and contacts, that has in turn further undermined the willingness and ability to establish broader generalised trust networks necessary for effective feedback mechanisms to develop (de Sousa, 2008;Lagerspetz, 2001). Environmental NGOs have grown in number and scope in both countries, but they remain constrained by a lack of grassroots support and closed administrative systems Jancar-Webster, 1998;Soromenho-Marques, 2002).…”

Section: Reassessing Environmental Legacies During Democratisationmentioning

confidence: 97%

A Long, Brown Shadow? The Impact of Non-Democratic Legacies on the Environment in Portugal and Bulgaria

O’Brien

2009

Perspectives on European Politics and Society

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Legacies of non-democratic rule influence and direct many decisions and actions within democratising political systems as institutions, procedures and policies are reformed. This article is concerned with the effect of legacies on environmental politics in democratising states. Democratic political systems are better equipped to address environmental concerns than their non-democratic counterparts; democratisation is therefore expected to lead to improvements. To assess the effect of non-democratic legacies the cases of Portugal and Bulgaria have been selected, as they experienced different forms of non-democratic rule, identifying general outcomes. The results indicate that democratisation does lead to improvements in environmental politics, with the extent and course of change being mediated by the legacy of the preceding political system.

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“…A central challenge in this regard was the legacies of the prior regime that continue to cast a shadow in the form of 'behavioural patterns, rules, relationships, social and political situations, norms, procedures, and institutions' (Hite and Morlino, 2004: 26). As Lagerspetz (2001) noted, attitudes of distrust in the former Soviet countries hindered the development of generalised forms of trust that would facilitate effective institutions of governance (see also Morris and Polese, 2015).…”

Section: Weak Democracies and Authoritarian Challengesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Populism, protest and democracy in the twenty-first century

O’Brien¹

2017

The People and the State

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Protest is an important measure of discontent within society and can be seen as a form of politics by other means. In periods of uncertainty and instability, protest can harm incumbent regimes by heightening and amplifying tensions, potentially leading to crisis and collapse in extreme cases. The wave of democratisation that characterised the last quarter of the 20 th century saw a number of weak democracies emerge and struggle, whereas other regime changes saw new forms of authoritarianism emerge. Crises in the early 21 st century have shaken both democratic and non-democratic states, leading to large-scale 'occupy' movements and uprisings that have brought down regimes in the former Soviet Union and across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) 1 region. Common to these diverse protests is a feeling of anti-politics that draws on populist and religious motivations to challenge the state. The aim of this paper is to consider the significance of this apparent wave of protest and identify the driving factors. In order to do this the paper examines arguments around the quality of democracy (and autocracy), state-social movement interactions and the rise of populist and religious movements.

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From 'Parallel Polis' to 'The Time of the Tribes': Post-Socialism, Social Self-Organization and Post-Modernity

Cited by 16 publications

References 0 publications

“Parallel poleis”: Towards a theoretical framework of the modern public sphere, civic engagement and the structural advantages of the internet to foster and maintain parallel socio-political institutions

“Parallel poleis”: Towards a theoretical framework of the modern public sphere, civic engagement and the structural advantages of the internet to foster and maintain parallel socio-political institutions

A Long, Brown Shadow? The Impact of Non-Democratic Legacies on the Environment in Portugal and Bulgaria

Populism, protest and democracy in the twenty-first century

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