Towards a Typology of Contestations
The synthesis research project aims to survey and categorize contestations of the liberal script, which vary globally in both type and underlying purpose. To properly understand the contestations and their causes and consequences, a useful typology needs to be developed. The project aims at a categorization according to the actors or dissenters, their normativity, as well as the emotions, strategies and processes used in achieving their goals.
This enterprise will also involve engaging with other branches of the SCRIPTS cluster, and with experts in area studies in particular to get help in identifying various contestation movements in the world’s regions. In the first stage, the goal is to identify a broad set of different contestants and contestations of the liberal script. That would include using international surveys and information from regional experts within and beyond the Cluster of Excellence as well as doing on-site field research to scrutinize the characteristics of contesting regimes and movements. In the second stage, researchers will distil a plausible sample from the overall comprehensive set of contestations, which will be used in the third stage to form a useful typology of contestation.