The early 1980s in Western Europe were characterized by a massive wave of, at times militant, protest. In this context, Sweden looked like the odd one out because confrontations remained a marginal... Show moreThe early 1980s in Western Europe were characterized by a massive wave of, at times militant, protest. In this context, Sweden looked like the odd one out because confrontations remained a marginal phenomenon. Could this be explained by the Swedish political system, which was characterized by moderation, dialogue and negotiation? This paper argues that asking what made Sweden different risks disconnecting Swedish protest experiences from the rest of Europe. Instead, researchers should ask how and why the image of mass contention and militancy, became a norm that informed the expectations of 1980s activists, authorities and the media. The argument is not that researchers should discard the norm of mass contentious action and instead focus on ‘what really happened’. Rather, the norm itself should be approached as a historical category, one that deeply influenced (views of) the 1980s protest wave—both then and now. Asking such questions can help clarify the relation between contention, subversion and social movement power. Show less
Steen, B.S. van der; Nimanaj, B.; Hendriks, E. 2023
This paper sets out to reconstruct Pannekoek’s understanding of scientific socialism in order to reconnect Pannekoek’s political and astronomical work. It does so through a close reading of... Show moreThis paper sets out to reconstruct Pannekoek’s understanding of scientific socialism in order to reconnect Pannekoek’s political and astronomical work. It does so through a close reading of Pannekoek’s early socialist essays, where he repeatedly referred to socialism’s scientific character, explaining it in various ways. From this reading, three different but closely related conceptions of scientific socialism can be abstracted. For Pannekoek, socialism was scientific in that it embraced modern science, in that it supposedly uncovered the laws of societal development, and in that it foretold the advent of socialism. The paper shows how, for Pannekoek, socialism was the only ideology with a true interest in scientific research and findings. This line of reasoning allowed Pannekoek to connect his astronomical and socialist persona. Show less
