- Project value (in PLN):
880984
ongoing
The impact of war on social movements in Europe
principal investigator / project leader
Ph.D. / Assistant Professor
project value: PLN 880,984
funding source: National Science Center
discipline: sociology
location: Warsaw
duration: 2024 2025 2026 2027
Researchers from SWPS University will investigate how wars impact social movements and how long such impact lasts.
Project funded by the National Science Center, project no. 2023/51/D/HS6/01835.
Project assumptions
Undoubtedly, the 2022 Russia’s full-scale invasion on Ukraine has significantly impacted all aspects of civil and social life. However, exogenous shocks such as war are used too frequently as somewhat general, rather than specific, explanations of the dynamics concerning social movements. Therefore, our understanding of the impact of war on interconnected members of European social movements operating in countries within and immediately adjacent to the war zone, is limited. Our goal is to understand what is the time frame needed for the European civil society to reorganize itself during, or immediately after, a war.
The 2022 Russian full-scale invasion on Ukraine impacts not only Ukraine but other countries around the globe. Poland, out of all European nations, arguably felt the strongest impact of war due to its border with the invaded country. Wars also impact social movements, which constitute strong political voice in democracies. In this project, we ask how exactly wars have impacted social movements in Poland and Ukraine, and how long such impact usually lasts. To answer these questions, we will test existing theories about the impact of drastic exogenous shocks, such as wars, on social movement mobilization. We hope to build better theories of how war impacts civil society.
Zelinska, Olga
Principal Investigator
Role in the Institute
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Specialization
sociologist
First and last name
Olga Zelinska
Academic degree or title
Ph.D. / Assistant Professor
Email
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Role in the Department
[]
Role in the Research Center
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Ph.D. / Assistant Professor Olga Zelinskasociologist
Methodology
Over 36 months, our theory-driven mixed-methods project will empirically test theories listed in social movements literature to understand how war has impacted the interconnected population of social movement organizations in Ukraine and Poland. Using information collected by the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), we will compile a unique and anonymized dataset containing relevant characteristics of organizations that conducted street protests between 2021 and 2023, in Ukraine and Poland. To further understand how protesters perceive a war and react to it, we will conduct interviews with representatives of social movement organizations in Poland and Ukraine, all the while maintain anonymity of vulnerable participants.
Practical application of results
This project constitutes an innovative approach to political sociology studies on the impact of exogenous shocks. Its goal is to test the hypotheses that can be found in literature of social movements. As the result, we will develop a new theory of a major social issue and an academic topic. We will also modify methodological tools accordingly. Moreover, this project can help researchers and public officials in Ukraine and Poland to understand what characteristics of collective actors come to the fore in the face of a massive shock, and can be of help in shaping democracy in these European countries once the war ends.