Paper short abstract:

The paper analyzes the modes of networking and collaboration of the movement “Se Non Ora Quando” (SNOQ). It examines the roles of intimate relationships and face to face encounters vs. communication through social media and the implications for protest practices, coalitions and formation processes.

Paper long abstract:

Among Italian feminists of the1960/70s, intimate relationships and face-to-face-encounters were essential for the formation of groups, stemming from the "philosophy of difference". Which forms of networking and collaboration do feminist movements in Italy nowadays adopt, and what kind of relations, group structures and protest practices are formed by them? These questions I want to explore based on the example of the 2011 founded women´s movement SNOQ. I will focus on the following aspects:

1. The role of personal meetings and intimate relationships vs. the use of social networks and internet platforms for formation processes, collaboration and the organization of actions of local SNOQ groups as well as on the national level. How and for what purposes are the different forms of communication used (e.g. discussions vs. decision-making)? In what way is their employment determined by generation or other factors? How do conflicts and hierarchies manifest themselves in different forms of interaction?

2. I also want to show how internal interactions relate to external coalition formation and networking. Which connections and collaborations exist with other movements and organizations and with the population? How do the forms of collaboration constitute the protest practices of the movement?

I will address these points on the basis of the following empirical data:

• Participant observation at local and national actions and meetings of SNOQ

• Biographic/theme-centered Interviews (based on Witzel 2000) with members of the movement

• A discourse analysis (following Jaeger 1991) of discussions on the internet platform "SNOQ 3.0"