Locating Agency in Collective Political Behaviour: Nationalism, Social Movements and Individual Mobilisation

Abstract

Some studies have emphasised the role of modernity and/or the emergence of the state in the occurrence of nationalism. These perspectives have underemphasised the motivations and rationales of individuals who claim to act on behalf of the nation. Over‐reliance on state‐based accounts of nationalism contributes to a broader failure to explain or predict specific and definable moments of popular nationalist mobilisation. This article seeks to redress this imbalance by suggesting that a combination of ethno‐symbolist approaches to nationalism with theoretical explanations of mobilisation and contentious politics refocuses attention back on to content rather than structural factors. It will be argued here that national ‘repertoires’ of myths, memories and symbols serve as collectively defined but individually understood factors for nationalist mobilisation. The article will conclude by suggesting potential mechanisms which explain how ‘popular resonance’ translates the ‘imagined community’ of the nation into tangible bases for political action.

Troubled Images: Analysing the Republican Use of Visual Metaphors in Wall Paintings and Pictures in Northern Ireland

“…The latter is the iconographic emblem of the Fenians, namely a Celtic warrior clan from Irish mythology, employed by the muralists as a republican ethos to reinforce the commemoration of the fallen hunger-striking martyrs. Moreover, "The Final Salute" is still one of the Republican trademarks used to honour the fall martyrs and suggests the concept of sacrifice with a last volley from a rifle (Githens-Mazer, 2008).…”

Unruly Women and Carnivalesque Countercontrol: Offensive Humor in Mediated Social Protest

“…According to D. S. Meyer (1995, p. 182), one of the key benefits of celebrity-endorsed protest is “the increased mobilization of support and publicity”. Similarly, scholars have argued that music has the capacity to mobilize political action and collective identity (DeNora, 2000; Githens-Mazer, 2008). Such ideas are applicable to Cardi B’s Instagram post, as it acquired over 1 million likes and nearly 13,000 comments.…”

Istanbul sounding like revolution: the role of music in the Gezi Park Occupy movement

“…Interestingly, protest music was central for the Gezi movement, and it fulfilled three ‘key elements necessary for participation in any social movement’ (Githens-Mazer 2008, p. 45): injustice and moral indignation, collective identity and agency. As we have seen above, moral indignation permeated the lyrics of songs specifically composed for the movement.…”