2313 - A Global Authoritarian Turn?

Session Submission Type: Invited Session

Description

Observers have posited a global authoritarian turn. While it is true that countries in various parts of the world have been turning away from democratic norms, it remains unclear whether these movements stem from a common, global process. Simply gesturing towards broad, macro-level developments such as the transformation of global capital is insufficient. The challenge is to connect global transformations with the political developments in different countries. We need to be able to specify how changes at one level have precipitated changes at another. We need to be able to distinguish the various processes at work. Doing this requires marshaling considerable expertise. It requires comparing thick accounts of contemporary anti-democratic movements. This is the aim of the proposed panel. Scholars focused on different parts of the world will be tasked with explaining the movements in their country or region of study with reference to both local and global forces. The panel will thus provide an opportunity to assay the coherence and significance of a global turn.

Sub Unit

• Section on Comparative-Historical Sociology

Session Organizer

• Marco Z Garrido, University of Chicago

Presider

• Anna Katharina Skarpelis, Harvard University

Panelists

• Baris Buyukokutan, Koc University

• Benjamin Merriman, University of Kansas

• Besnik Pula, Virginia Tech

• Gregory Morton, Bard College

• Marco Z Garrido, University of Chicago