Article 5a: Research On Social Movements And Political Violence (Della Porta, 2008)

Question 1

This study

Answer 1

Looks at political violence from the social movement perspectives, baed on new waves of debate on terrorist and counter-terrorist action. It states that violence is an escalation of actions within:
1. Protest cycles
2. Political opportunity
3. Resource mobilisation
4. Narratives of violence
5. Militant construction

Question 2

(1) Protest cycles

Answer 2

Societies occasionally experience periods of increased protest activity involving one or more issues and many protesting groups. Violence is often the outcome of a protest cycle. These cycles develop in a sharp peak and then decline over time. After this period, innovation and adaptation often follows, with each side responding to the other.

Question 3

(2) Political opportunity

Answer 3

Social movements develop and succes not because they emerge to address new grievances, but because something larger in the political context allows existing grievances to be heard. These political opportunities include:
- Regime shifts
- Periods of political instability
- Changes in the composition of elites

Right-wing political violence appears to develop more when political opportunities are closed off by the state (instead of appearing because of sustained grievances).

Question 4

(3) Resource mobilisation

Answer 4

Plays a critical role in the development of violent organisation, often beginnen with internal competition and ideological splits within broader social movements.

Question 5

(4) Narratives of violence

Answer 5

• Narratives: specific stories to legitimise violence by linking current struggles to historical conflict or oppression.
• Frames: conceptual tool or lens through which individuals and groups interpret, understand and communicate about a situation or issue. Frames help shape perceptions of problems, define goals and guid actions by connecting them to broader narratives or values.

Question 6

(5) Militant groups

Answer 6

An organised collective of individuals who adopt aggressive or confrontational methods, like violence, to achieve political, ideological, social or religious goals. These groups often form in opposition to perceived oppression, injustice or threats to their values and typically operate outside of the political or institutional frameworks.

Question 7

Symbolic nature of political violence

Answer 7

Political violence is primarily symbolic, with its cultural and emotional impacts often outweighing its material consequences. These symbolic struggles polarise societies, often weakening demands for expanded civil rights and strengthening hard-line approaches.