Not Just Solidarity Providers. Investigating the Political Dimension of Alternative Action Organisations (AAOs) during the Economic Crisis in Greece


Abstract


The current economic crisis was a turning point, for the worse, in the everyday reality for a huge sector of the Greek population. Austerity-stricken Greece is characterised by the collapse of the wel-fare state and by increasingly uncovered basic needs. The answer to this humanitarian problem has been given by thousands of formal and informal initiatives and organisations and their solidarity actions, such as barter networks, food banks, consumers-producers networks, soup kitchens, new cooperatives, social economy enterprises and free legal advice. Despite the role of these initiatives and organisations in cover-ing needs, there are also signs that some of them make claims for social and/or political change. Conse-quently, some of these groups and organisations function in the political arena. This paper aims to map and analyse Alternative Action Organisations (AAOs), which are engaged with solidarity and political ac-tions, as well. It compares 'political AAOs' (engaged in protest, awareness raising and lobbying activities) and 'non-political AAOs' (engaged exclusively in solidarity actions) with respect to some of their main fea-tures. Moreover, the paper aims, through explanatory analysis, to uncover the predictors associated with AAOs' engagement in political activities.

DOI Code: 10.1285/i20356609v11i1p12

Keywords: Alternative action organisations; awareness raising; Greek crisis; political engagement; pro-test; solidarity activities

References


Adam S., C. Papatheodorou (2010), Social Economy and Social Exclusion: A Critical Ap-proach, Athens: INE GSEE.

Andretta M., R. Guidi (2017), “Political Consumerism and Producerism in Times of Cri-sis. A Social Movement Perspective?”, Partecipazione e Conflitto, 10(1): 246-274.

Arampatzi A. (2016), “The Spatiality of Counter-austerity Politics in Athens, Greece: Emergent ‘Urban Solidarity Spaces’”, Urban Studies, 54 (9): 2155-2171.

Arapoglou V., K. Gounis, and D. Siatitsa (2015), “Revisiting the Concept of Shelterisa-tion: Insights from Athens, Greece”, European Journal of Homelessness, 9(2): 137-157.

Baumgarten B. (2017), “Back to Solidarity-based Living? The Economic Crisis and the Development of Alternative Projects in Portugal”, Partecipazione e Conflitto, (1): 169-192.

Bosi L., L. Zamponi (2015), “Direct Social Actions and Economic Crises: The Relationship between Forms of Action and Socio-Economic Context in Italy”, Partecipazione e Conflitto, 8(2): 367-391.

Castells M., J. Caraça, and G. Cardoso (eds. 2012), Aftermath: The Cultures of the Eco-nomic Crisis, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Cabot H. (2016), “‘Contagious’ Solidarity: Reconfiguring Care and Citizenship in Greece’s Social Clinics”, Social Anthropology, 24(2): 152–166.

Cruz H., M. Rubén Martínez, and I. Blanco (2017), “Crisis, Urban Segregation and Social Innovation in Catalonia”, Partecipazione e Conflitto, 10(1): 221-245.

D'Alisa G., F. Forno, and S. Maurano (2015), “Grassroots (Economic) Activism in Times of Crisis: Mapping the Redundancy of Collective Actions”, Partecipazione e Conflitto, 8(2): 328-342.

Della Porta D., M. Diani (2009) Social Movements: An Introduction, John Wiley and Sons.

Diani M., M. Kousis (2014), “The Duality of Claims and Events: The Greek Campaign against the Troika's Memoranda and Austerity, 2010-2012”, Mobilization: An Inter-national Quarterly, 19(4): 387-404.

Edwards B., J. McCarthy (2004), “Resources and Social Movement Mobilization”, in A. Snow, S. A. Soule, and H. Kriesi (eds.), The Blackwell Companion to Social Move-ments, Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, pp. 116-152.

Forno F., P.R. Graziano (2014) “Sustainable Community Movement Organisations”, Journal of Consumer Culture, 8(2): 328-342.

Giannitsis T., S. Zografakis (2015), “Greece: Solidarity and Adjustment in Times of Cri-sis”, Hans-Böckler-Stiftung, IMK Studies, Nr. 38.

Kantzara V. (2014), “Solidarity in Times of Crisis: Emergent Practices and Potential for Paradigmatic Change. Notes from Greece”, Studi di Sociologia, 3: 261-280.

Kokkinidis G. (2015), “Post-capitalist Imaginaries: The Case of Workers’ Collectives in Greece”, Journal of Management Inquiry, 24(4): 429-432.

Kousis M., M. Paschou (2017), “Alternative Forms of Resilience. A Typology of Ap-proaches for the Study of Citizen Collective Responses in Hard Economic Times”, Partecipazione e Conflitto, 10(1): 136-168.

Kousis M., S. Kalogeraki, M. Papadaki, A. Loukakis, and M. Velonaki (2016a) "Alternati-ve Formen von Resilienz in Griechenland" (Alternative Forms of Resilience in Greece), Forschungsjournal Soziale Bewegungen, 29(1): 50–61 (in German).

Kousis M., M. Giugni, and C. Lahusen (2016b), “Action Organization Analysis: A New, online-based Approach Extending Protest Event Analysis through Hubs-based Website Analysis”, paper presented in the ECPR General Conference Panel, Transnational Solidarity and Alternative Action Organizations in European Countries at Times of Crisis, Open Section, Prague Sept.7-10.

Laville J. L. (2010), “Solidarity Economy (Economie Solidaire)”, in: K. Hart, J.L. Laville, and A.D. Cattani (eds.), The Human Economy, A Citizen’s Guide, Cambridge: Polity Press, pp. 225-235.

Livewhat (2016), Work Package 6 Codebook on Alternative Action Organizations, Live-what, Available from

http://www.livewhat.unige.ch/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Deliverable-6.1.pdf

Loukakis A. (2016a), “Something More than Offering Help! Exploring the Links between Solidarity and Social Movement Initiatives in Greece in Times of Economic Crisis”, paper presented at the 10th European Consortium for Political Research General Conference, Charles University, Prague.

Loukakis A. (2016b), “Political Consumerism in Greece at Times of Economic Crisis: En-vironmental Awareness or a Way to Deal with the Effects of the Crisis?” paper pre-sented in 2016 ECPR Joint Sessions of Workshops, Pisa, April 24-28.

Loukakis A. (2017), “Anti-austerity Protests and New Forms of Solidarity: One Move-ment?", paper presented at the International Conference on Cross-Movement Mobilization, Ruhr-University, Bochum, April 5-7.

Lyrintzis C. (2011), “Greek Politics in the Era of Economic Crisis: Reassessing Causes and Effects”, Hellenic Observatory papers on Greece and Southeast Europe, paper no. 45, London, UK: The Hellenic Observatory, London School of Economics and Political Science.

Makris G., D. Bekridakis (2013), “The Greek Orthodox Church and the Economic Crisis since 2009”, International Journal for the Study of the Christian Church, 13:2 : 111-132.

Marketakis Y., Y. Tzitzikas, N. Anifantis, V. Kalligiannakis, P. Lionakis, and T. Yannakis (2015), “Analysis of Web Accessible Networks, Organizations and Groups”, UoC-Forth deliverable for WP6 of LIVEWHAT.

Matsaganis M. (2013), “The Greek Crisis: Social Impacts and Policy Responses”, Berlin: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.

Moulaert F., O. Ailenei (2005), “Social Economy, Third Sector and Solidarity Relations: A Conceptual Synthesis from History to Present”, Urban studies, 42(11): 2037-2053.

Ould Ahmed P. (2014) “What does “Solidarity Economy” Mean? Contours and Feasibil-ity of Theoretical and Political Project”, Business Ethics: A European Review, 24 (4): 425–435.

Papadaki M., S. Kalogeraki (2017), “Social Support Actions as Forms of Building Community Resilience at the Onset of the Crisis in Urban Greece: The Case of Chania”, Partecipazione e Conflitto, 10(1): 193-220.

Petropoulou C. (2013), “‘Alternative Networks of Collectivities’ and ‘Solidarity-Cooperative Economy’ in Greek Cities: Exploring their Theoretical Origins”, Journal of Regional Socio-economic Issues, 3(2): 61-86.

Petropoulou E. A. (2016), “The Role of Short Food Supply Chains in Greece--What Op-portunities for Sustainable, Just and Democratic Food Systems at Times of Crisis?”, Sociology and Anthropology, 4(5): 337-346.

Polyzoidis P. (2015), “NGOs and Social Welfare in Greece Reassessed: Comparative Insights and Crisis Repercussions”, Austerity and the Third Sector in Greece. Civil Society at the European Frontline, 109-124.

Psycharis Y., D. Kallioras, and P. Pantazis (2014), “Economic Crisis and Regional Resili-ence: Detecting the Geographical Footprint of Economic Crisis in Greece”, Regional Science Policy and Practice, 6(2): 121-141.

Rakopoulos T. (2014a), “Resonance of Solidarity: Meanings of a Local Concept in Anti-austerity Greece”, Journal of Modern Greek Studies, 32(2): 313-337.

Rakopoulos T. (2014b), “The Crisis Seen from Below, Within, and Against: From Solidarity Economy to Food Distribution Cooperatives in Greece”, Dialectical anthropology, 38(2): 189-207.

Roose J., M. Kousis, M. Sommer, F. Scholl, K. Kanellopoulos, A. Loukakis, and D. Papanikolopoulos (2018), “New Rage, New Perspectives? Protest in the Eurozone Crisis in Greece and Germany”, in J. Beyer, and C. Trampusch (eds.), Finanzmarkt, Demokratie Und Gesellschaft. Sonderheft Der Kölner Zeitschrift Für Soziolgie Und Sozialpsychologie, Wiesbaden: Springer VS.

Shahin J., A. Woodward, and G. Terzis (2013), “The Impact of the Crisis on Civil Society Organizations in the EU: Risks and Opportunities”, EESC/COMM/12/2012, the Euro-pean Economic and Social Committee, European Union.

Simiti M. (2017), “Civil Society and the Economy: Greek Civil Society During the Eco-nomic Crisis”, Journal of Civil Society, 1-17.

Sotiropoulos D., D. Bourikos (2014), “Economic Crisis, Social Solidarity and the Volun-tary Sector in Greece”, Summary Report of the Crisis Observatory research project on the Social Consequences of the Economic Crisis in Greece and the Response of Civil Society Organizations to the Crisis”, Athens: Crisis Observatory. Available from: http://crisisobs.gr/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Final-Report.pdf

Sotiropoulos D. (2014), “Civil Society in Greece in the Wake of the Economic Crisis”, A report submitted to the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Office in Athens and written with research assistance by the Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP).Available from:

http://www.eliamep.gr/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/kas.pdf

Sotiropoulou I. (2016), “Solidarity, Grassroots Initiatives and Power Relations”, World, 6: 44-59.

Sotiropoulou I. (2012), Exchange Networks and Parallel Currencies: Theoretical Ap-proaches and the Case of Greece, PhD Dissertation, Department of Economics, Uni-versity of Crete, Rethymno, Greece.

Theocharis Y. (2016), “Every Crisis is a Digital Opportunity: The Aganaktismenoi Movement’s Use of Social Media and the Emergence of Networked Solidarity in Greece”, in in A. Bruns, G. Enli, E. Skogerbo, A.O. Larsson, and C. Christensen (eds.), The Routledge Companion to Social Media and Politics, New York: Routledge, pp. 184 – 197.

Vogiatzoglou M. (2017), “Turbulent Flow: Anti-Austerity Mobilization in Greece. In D. Della Porta, M. Andretta, T. Fernandes, F. O'Connor, E. Romanos, and M. Vogia-tzoglou (eds.), Late Neoliberalism and its Discontents in the Economic Crisis, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 99-129.


Full Text: PDF

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.
کاغذ a4
Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribuzione - Non commerciale - Non opere derivate 3.0 Italia License.