Reactionary Movements and Conservative Thought: Disentangling Politics from Theory

• In Event: 40420 - Section on Political Sociology Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 18: The Politics of Social Movements 3

Abstract

A fluorescence of reactionary social movements in the first quarter of the twenty-first century has brought new sociological interest and attention to conservative politics and thought. Drawing upon observations and insights from our research (on Christian nationalists and populist critiques of sport, respectively), we construct a critical-theoretical framework to analyze and understand modern reactionary social movements and their fraught relations to conservative social thought. First, we disentangle conservative thought from reactionary movements, arguing the latter are change-oriented (albeit often backward-looking), while the former is focused on the preservation and reproduction of the status quo and thus cautious about or even critical of the social implications of change. Second, we revisit the storied history, definitions, and characteristics of reactionary right-wing movements in the United States, with particular attention to resentment and nostalgia, economics (and capitalism), and power and established political regimes, including traditionally centrist Republican Party interests and commitments. Third, we highlight how a deeper appreciation of key principles of conservative social theory can not only help us better understand and critique reactionary social movements but also identify the tensions between and among order, agency, movements, and change more generally. We conclude by discussing the utility of core elements of classical conservative thought in the sociological canon, with particular attention to the seemingly unchecked growth of global capitalism and the waning of liberal democratic ideals.

Authors

• Forrest Lovette, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

• Doug Hartmann, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities