Public participation and social movement research: connecting perspectives to gain broader, sharper and more innovative insights about transnational political participation?

Abstract

Global social movement research and public participation research have much in common. Thus-drawing on the contributions of this special issue-first, we provide insights into the dynamics and developments of increasing transnational political participation with regard to three key cross-cutting themes: (1) the global spread of ideas and models of participation, and the frames of the issues at stake; (2) new forms of mobilising and organising global publics for public participation; and (3) perspectives on challenges for democratic legitimacy in global contexts created by participatory innovations. Second, we discuss core similarities between public participation and social movement research in terms of research interests, theoretical backgrounds and empirical foci, while at the same time highlighting possible contradictions and incompatibilities. As the contributions in this special issue keep within their own research perspective, this concluding article reflects upon the variety of concepts of transnational political participation from the public participation and social movement research areas, and aims to stimulate the debate about the possibility of bringing these perspectives more closely together.