Mitchell Centre Seminar Series. Pietro Casari Scuola Normale Superiore Italy. Events, Networks, and Collective Action Processes
| Dates: | 18 March 2026 |
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| Times: | 16:00 - 17:30 |
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| What is it: | Seminar |
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| Organiser: | School of Social Sciences |
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The recent interest in events as an object of study has been accompanied by numerous attempts to develop a conceptual framework for their interpretation. I argue that adopting a processual-relational approach, both ontologically and epistemologically, can better frame the constitutive role of events in collective action processes. To this end, I propose a theoretical approach to collective action as a process from an event-based perspective, framing it as both event-constructed and event-driven.
In line with recent conceptualisations of events and social processes, attention should be directed towards the modes and mechanisms by which events constitute lineages of collective action, simultaneously considering discrete (forms) and continuous (flows) perspectives. To explore this duality, I introduce two conceptual tools: 'events as networks' and 'networks of events'. The former focuses on individual events, tracing the relations between the main elements involved in these situations: agentic entities, actions, and meanings. The latter focuses on the dynamic dimension of the construction and development of networks of events over time. I present empirical evidence drawn from my current doctoral project, which focuses on the development of the digital rights and liberties field in Europe. In particular, I examine the conceptual tools and related methodological applications to highlight instances of cross-boundary coalition-making and sustained relations of co-participation in collective action events, as well as of framing extension involving a range of civil society organisations operating within the field in recent years (2021–2024).
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