Collective Action and Social Change: Toward Integration and Innovation

3-6th July 2009, Appingedam (near Groningen), The Netherlands.

Organizers: Martijn van Zomeren (University of Groningen),
Andrew Livingstone and Nicole Tausch (Cardiff University), Aarti
Iyer (University of Queensland)

We now have a website with more details about the meeting:

http://www.rug.nl/psy/organisatie/vakgroepen/seno/casc_congres/Welcome

Applicants should submit a 250-word abstract to [log in to unmask]
before 5pm GMT on Friday, January 30th, 2009. Please include your
name, affiliation, contact information, and membership status in
the European Association of Social Psychology (EASP).

The dynamics of collective action and social change in
hierarchical societies have long been of interest to social
psychologists. As is evident from an upcoming volume of the
Journal of Social Issues (Iyer & Van Zomeren, 2009), theory and
research on collective action has moved steadily over the last
decade to integrate diverse psychological processes such as group
identity, efficacy, emotion, empowerment, politicization, and
(moral) group norms. As such, the literature offers integrated
insights into how low-status group members cope with the
collective disadvantages they face.

Nevertheless, recent work has also focused on innovation and
explored a number of novel research questions. For example, what
are the factors that determine the action strategies of members
of high-status or advantaged groups, ranging from solidarity with
a disadvantaged group, to overt oppression? What is the role of
communication in shaping social change strategies, and what are
the implications of this for opinion-based groups, or for the
‘radicalization’ of moderate group members? What are the
conditions under which support for a collective cause shifts from
legal to more radical, illegal forms of action? Moreover, could
actions by high-status or advantaged group members designed to
reduce inequality actually perpetuate it?

To address these issues we invite proposals for a Medium-Sized
Group Meeting that will bring together researchers who are
interested in integration and innovation in the field of social
change and collective action. The meeting will have up to 50
participants, and we particularly encourage junior and
postgraduate researchers to apply.