Recent wrestler protests reveal limitations of middle-class activism, highlighting ineffective mobilization and lack of support in civil society movements.
What is mean by Middle-Class Activism?
Middle-class activism involves participation in social, political, and civic activities for social change.
Historical Perspective
- India experienced a vibrant associational culture in the early 20th century, promoting socio-economic initiatives and uplifting individuals from lower social strata.
Retreat of Middle-Class Activism
- Middle class gains control over power networks, consolidates positions, and engages in state-centric politics. Fragmentation along segmental loyalties and caste/community-based organizations narrow civil society engagement and focus on broader social issues.
- Middle-class activism retreat resulted in limited inclusivity, neglecting marginalized communities, and loss of associational culture, limiting engagement on social issues and fostering pluralism.
Resurgence of Middle-Class Activism
- Middle-class activism against corruption during UPA grew, led by Anna Hazare, highlighting dissatisfaction with political system corruption and demand for transparent, accountable governance.
- Middle-class activists mobilized large-scale protests and demonstrations to demand change, addressing corruption and governance issues.
- Social media and technology enabled them to connect, organize, and mobilize, increasing visibility and impact. They actively participated in civil society organizations, contributing expertise and resources to drive change.
Critiques and limitations associated with middle-class activism
- Middle-class activism’s exclusionary focus overlooks marginalized communities, perpetuating inequalities and hindering broader social issues.
- Lack of intersectionality in middle-class activism leads to narrow understanding of social issues and exclusion of marginalized voices, limiting grassroots engagement and perspectives.
- Middle-class activism often favors technocratic solutions, but may overlook deeper social issues and inequality. Lack of sustained commitment and co-option by existing power structures can limit activism’s impact and hinder lasting change.
The Changing Indian Sensibility
- Technocratic Outlook: The changing sensibility emphasizes progress and development through technocratic governance and entrepreneurialism.
- This shift in perception of politics stems from disillusionment with traditional mass-based systems and a desire for a more efficient, meritocratic system.
- Professionalism rises, with a professional middle class valuing education, expertise, and meritocracy, emphasizing professional accomplishments, entrepreneurship, and career success as markers of progress and social status.
The Role of Organizational Activism
- Mobilising Support: The role of organisational activism is to mobilise individuals and communities behind common aims and concerns. These organisations frequently provide a forum for like-minded people to gather, share information, organise actions, and develop solidarity.
- Advocacy and Lobbying: Organisational activists use advocacy and lobbying to influence public opinion, shape policies, and effect legislative or institutional change. They seek to advance their causes by interacting with legislators, organising campaigns, and utilising various communication platforms to spread their messages and demands.
- Organisational activism may strengthen grassroots communities by giving them a collective voice and a platform to address their concerns. These organisations frequently collaborate with local communities, encouraging participatory decision-making and empowering marginalised people to express their needs and rights.
- Expertise and research: Many organisational activists are knowledgeable about specialised topics such as human rights, environmental conservation, labour rights, and gender equality. To support their lobbying activities, they do research, collect data, and present evidence-based arguments.
- Accountability and monitoring: Organisational activists frequently serve as watchdogs, keeping tabs on government policies, corporate practises, and societal issues. They contribute to openness, accountability, and the promotion of ethical practises through their monitoring efforts.
- Coalitions and Alliances: Building coalitions and alliances with other like-minded organisations, movements, or community groups is a common feature of organisational activity. They can use collective strength, pool resources, and multiply their effect by forming partnerships and collaborative endeavours.
- Organisational activism seeks to effect social transformation and change by addressing systemic concerns, challenging power structures, and fighting for justice and equality.
@the end
The wrestler demonstrations demonstrate the limitations of middle-class activism, emphasising the need to move beyond superficial and celebrity-dependent paradigms of civil society engagement. A democratic process of developing permanent, programmatic solidarities is required to transcend segmental loyalties and build a more inclusive and effective civil society. Only by taking this strategy can civil society activism effectively address social challenges
Source: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0891241612467202