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Political activism in Iran: strategies for survival, possibilities for resistance and authoritarianism

Rivetti, Paola (2017) Political activism in Iran: strategies for survival, possibilities for resistance and authoritarianism. Democratization, 24 (6). pp. 1178-1194. ISSN 1351-0347

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Abstract

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.

Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Uncontrolled Keywords:Iran; social movements; subjectivity; authoritarianism; mobilizations; protest movements; informal activism; green movement
Subjects:Social Sciences > Political science
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Science > School of Law and Government
Publisher:Taylor & Francis
Official URL:https://doi.org/10.1080/13510347.2017.1293658
Copyright Information:© 2017 Taylor & Francis
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. View License
Funders:Irish Research Council [grant number ID REPRO/2015/33]
ID Code:23154
Deposited On:10 Apr 2019 13:45 by Paola Rivetti . Last Modified 10 Apr 2019 13:45

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