Conceptualising backlash movements: A (patch-worked) perspective from social movement studies

This article discusses the potential contribution to the concept of backlash in social movement studies. If we consider backlash politics as characterised by the convergence of an intensified organisational networking, increased capacity for collective actions and aggressive framing by retrograde actors (including movements), social movement studies might provide (a) theoretical suggestions to embed the analysis in an established sets of concepts and hypotheses on the development of contentious politics, of which backlash politics is a type and (b) empirical knowledge on a specific form of retrograde movements, those related to the radical right. Building upon some established concepts in social movement studies, I will address the identity framing, organisational resources and contextual opportunities for backlash politics.