Individualism and Solidarity in the New Russian Civil Movements

Abstract

The article is based on sociological research of the dynamics of new local social movements appearing after the "For fair elections" rallies. This research is based on 36 indepth interviews with activists of the newly created local groups. The respondents were recruited in Moscow and St. Petersburg. The presented analysis takes into account three activist groups ("Headquarters" and "Group of Watchers" in Moscow and "Civil Union" in Petersburg). The article is focused on the role of subjectivities in the "first time" activists in the creation of civil society institutions in Russia. The central question of the article is as follows: how do individualisation and the values of individualism influence representations of political freedom and practices of politicization. This issue is analysed within the framework of public and private spheres. The movements, which emerged from the emotional enthusiasm of protestors and election observers, are now in a crisis of demobilization. At the heart of the crisis is the contradiction between desire to sustain collective action emerging as a result of the rallies and the ethic of self-reliance and individualism that is shared by the activists. This individualism is shaped by personal careers of socialisation in a depoliticised society that has been characterised by the dominance of private sphere by the state, economic rationality and stigmatisation of the political. The authors outline their theory of depoliticisation and claim that the latter not only hinders political participation but also influences the styles and strategies of politicisation visible within the movement "For fair elections" in Russia. In the article, the authors argue that the depoliticised ethic of individualism, which previously distracted people from political participation, now forms the individualised ethic of political action, which considers participation as a voluntary contribution that can also be voluntary withdrawn.