New social movements in Russia: A challenge to the dominant model of power relationships?

Abstract

In a context where the dominant model of power relationships is authoritarian, the only possibility for democratization of the system is mobilization from below. Although social and political structures in Russia are quite unfavourable for social mobilization, social protest and citizens' movements have been developing during the past three years. They face serious difficulties attempting to expand themselves and affirm their own values, identities and claims, but they do exist. Their leaders play a key role in taking the initiative to begin collective action and assume responsibility for it. In the activists' milieu we notice a growing sense of powerfulness and a tendency for social trust to reinforce it, thereby creating conditions for possible construction of an alternative model of power relationships. In an adverse context, the expansion of such a model is quite limited and the likelihood of institutionalization of alternative practices quite weak. Nevertheless, a democratic style is developing within activist networks, to a relatively high degree depending on the leaders' personality.