Towards a Beckian approach to social movements: Between surveillance and subpolitical counter-power

Ludvigsen, J (2025) Towards a Beckian approach to social movements: Between surveillance and subpolitical counter-power. Sociological Research Online. pp. 1-18.

Preview

Text Towards a Beckian approach to social movements Between surveillance and subpolitical counter-power.pdf - Published Version Available under License Creative Commons Attribution. Download (175kB) | Preview

Abstract

By drawing upon concepts from Ulrich Beck’s work on risk, reflexivity, contestation and subpolitical power, this article produces an understanding of social movement-based critiques of surveillance and argues for the promise of Beckian (conceptual) approaches in analyses of social movements’ power. While Beck argued, in his final book, that intensified surveillance constitutes a new epoch of the ‘risk society’, characterized by ‘global digital freedom risks’, little attention has been paid to how social movements contest such risks in ‘risk societies’. Responding to calls for research on these risks’ social consequences, thus filling this lacuna, this paper advances our knowledge on Beck’s social theory and surveillance-related critiques by using the empirical example of football supporter movements and their surveillance-related contestations. As argued, this case example reveals civil society, movement field coalitions, and digital freedom risks’ emancipatory potential but historical significance.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	1608 Sociology; Sociology; 4405 Gender studies; 4410 Sociology
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Divisions:	Humanities and Social Science
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Date of acceptance:	18 March 2025
Date of first compliant Open Access:	30 April 2025
Date Deposited:	30 Apr 2025 09:42
Last Modified:	28 May 2025 15:15
URI:	https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/26288

View Item