Crystallising contention: social movements, protests and riots in African Studies

bibliographic database
Line

Periodical article

Title:	Crystallising contention: social movements, protests and riots in African Studies
Author:	Philipps, Joschka
Year:	2016
Periodical:	Review of African Political Economy (ISSN 0305-6244)
Volume:	43
Issue:	150
Pages:	576-591
Language:	English
Geographic terms:	Africa Guinea Uganda
Subjects:	protest political action action groups
External link:	https://doi.org/10.1080/03056244.2016.1171206
Abstract:	This article critically reviews the recent debate on social movements and protests in African Studies. It problematises prevailing conceptualisations, addresses the methodological difficulties of data gathering and scrutinises theoretical references in contemporary scholarship. As an alternative to established approaches and based on fieldwork in Conakry (Guinea) and Kampala (Uganda), the author suggests capturing the dynamic nature of protest movements through the concept of crystallisation. Inspired by philosopher Gilbert Simondon, the crystallisation concept grasps protests as processes emerging from everyday urban politics and reflexively considers the researcher as part of the phenomena he or she describes. Bibliogr., notes., ref. sum. in English and French. [Journal abstract]