La producción de la sociedad a través de los movimientos sociales

Abstract

Seven years after the beginning of a global wave of movements in 2011, the political and social panorama looks very different from the democratic hopes that mobilized millions. On the opposite, we witness a strengthening of repression, authoritarianism and conservatism. In this context, is Alain Touraine’s assertion that “social movements produce society” still valid? We consider that it remains highly relevant, as long as the analysis of social movements avoids two epistemological biases. First, social movements should never been reduced to their impact on elections and institutional politics, neither to protests and. Second, in addition pof progressive actors, social movement studies need to better integrate the analyses of conservative movements and of“movements from above” that impose the dominant model. The conflicts between these three sectors of movements are producing our societies. It remains to be seen who of the actors promoting democracy or those reducing it will prevail.