Political activism in Iran: strategies for survival, possibilities for resistance and authoritarianism
Rivetti, PaolaORCID: 0000-0002-1794-0504
(2017)
Political activism in Iran: strategies for survival, possibilities for resistance and authoritarianism.
Democratization, 24
(6).
pp. 1178-1194.
ISSN 1351-0347
This article examines mobilizations and activism in authoritarian settings by
considering the case of Iran. By focusing on the transformation of activism since the
1990s and the green movement, it advances an explanation of how oppositional
political groups have been able to survive and produce forms of resistant
subjectivity despite authoritarian constraints. In order to do so, the article brings
together two scholarly traditions, namely Social Movement Theory (SMT) and the
study of subjectivity and resistance as framed by Sari Hanafi. SMT explains how
activists have been able to navigate repression and create opportunities for
mobilization while shifting between formal and informal politic. The study of
subjectivity helps conceptualize the type of subjects or political citizens that
authoritarian environments generate. The article builds on field research with
activists conducted in Iran and Turkey between 2007 and 2016. It argues that
authoritarian constraints allow autonomous activism to flourish while emptying of
meaning the regime-sanctioned political infrastructures.
Metadata
Item Type:
Article (Published)
Refereed:
Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:
Iran; social movements; subjectivity; authoritarianism; mobilizations; protest movements; informal activism; green movement