The Cost of Success: Disenchantment After Partidization. Evidence from Contemporary Feminist Movements in Argentina

Date of Award

Spring 1-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Political Science

First Advisor

De La O Torres, Ana

Abstract

What sustains participation in social movements? While the determinants of theinitial decision to join a social movement have been extensively studied, the question of how participation in them evolves over time —particularly after achieving their policy goals —remains underexplored. I argue that, especially in the period surrounding success, movement leaders have incentives to express support for the political party or coalition that backed their demands and/or join the state bureaucracy. I contend that these two paths signal a loss of autonomy of movement leadership, leading movement joiners to associate leaders with a specific political party or coalition —a process I label “partidization.” Because autonomy may be valuable for social movement participants, movement joiners may become disenchanted, feel less represented by leaders, and ultimately demobilize as a result of partidization. I test this theory by studying two major feminist movements in the Argentine context —Ni Una Menos (“Not one [Woman] Less”) and the abortion rights movement (also known as the “green wave”) —using a mixed methods approach, combining a survey experiment with qualitative process-tracing. My research suggests that movement leaders face a “double bind.” Partidization may be necessary for leaders to achieve policy success and ensure proper implementation, but it can also lead to disenchantment among movement joiners, weakening the movement over time and potentially jeopardizing the sustained mobilization and momentum needed to protect and further policy achievements.

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