Vollversion (5.75 MB) - Forschungsjournal Soziale Bewegungen

1124 FORSCHUNGSJOURNAL NSB, JG. 8, HEFT 1, 1995
Andreas Zick/Ulrich Wagner: Social identity and group behavior: Sociopsychological
contributions to an analysis of social movements; FJ NSB 1/1995, pp. 56-67
The authors describe the development of theory and method of the 'social identity approach' since
the seventies, when the crisis of social psychology was manifest in its lack to come to terms with
'large-scale processes' .This approach and its theories and of social identity can make an important
contribution to the discussion of collective identites of social movements. However, the findings
of social psychology are only of limited value as far as ideological components within collective
identities are concerned, e.g., racial, efhnical or religious motives.
Kai-Uwe Hellmann: Social movements and collective identity: About the latency,
crisis and reflection of social milieus; FJ NSB 1/1995, pp. 68-81
In this essay social movements are perceived as collective identities of their respective social
bases, taking up the classic distinction of 'Klasse an sich' and 'Klasse für sich'. LUHMANN's
concept of reflexion is appreciated: A social system defines its identity by reflecting on the
difference to its environment. The social basis of a movement is described - refering to
GERHARD SCHULZE's 'Erlebnisgesellschaft' - as a social milieu that is confirmed of its
genuine identity in times of severe crisis' by the corresponding movement. Thus, the collective
identity of the main social basis of the new social movements is a product of the mobilization of
these social movements.
Wolf-Dieter Narr: Between profession and movement: The anniversary of the 'Arbeitskreis
Soziale Bewegungen'; FJ NSB 1/1995, pp. 82-89 and
Ruud Koopmans: Movement or Stagnation? A critical analysis of the recent German
research on social movements; FJ NSB 1/1995, pp. 90-96
These two lectures were held on the Potsdam Conference of Political Scientists in August 1994
on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the 'Arbeitskreis Soziale Bewegungen'. KOOPMANS 's
text is a lightly ironical outline of the State of affairs. NARR emphasizes the current lack of
approaches of democratic theory and of macro-sociology, and deplores the high grade of
'scientification'. On the contrary, KOOPMANS pleades for more 'scientification', because the
German discussion is too much preoccupied with abstract discussions on concept and definition
with neglecting empirical research, which is not only in its own right, but may also help to resolve
conceptual problems.