FROM SOCIAL MOVEMENT TO POLITICAL MOVEMENT: SPAIN-INDIGNADOS MOVEMENT AND LEBANON-BEIRUT MADINATI MOVEMENT

Abstract

This study aims to examine the transformation of social movements into a political movement, which has been evaluated within the framework of a new paradigm since the late 60s, through case studies. One of the general acceptances in the social movements literature is that old and new social movements differ from each other in terms of being related to politics. It is accepted that the old social movements were organized under the roof of a political party by bringing together individuals with the same ideology and the new social movements brought together individuals from all ideologies and displayed a non-party structure. This study is shaped by the idea that new social movements have the potential to turn into a political movement, although they do not come together with political motivations. In this direction, the Indignados Movement in Spain and the Beirut Madinati Movement in Lebanon are handled as case studies. As a result of examining these movements that emerged in different geographies and set an example for the transformation of new social movements into a political movement; it has been observed that new social movements can turn into a political movement, regardless of the motivation for emergence or geography. Another result of the study is that the success of the political movement that emerged as a result of the new social movement does not depend on the political and social structure of the country.