Collective action without groups: A case study of youth activism, fragmentation and political identification in Jordan

Abstract

This paper aims to understand the ways in which Jordanian social and political activists aim to win the mindset of Jordan’s youth and engage them for action. It specifically looks at the immense fragmentation in this field, aiming to outline what exactly causes this fragmentation. It will look for the formation of political identification, and the boundary processes activists engage in as they aim to form such political identifications. Empirically, this paper offers a non-exhaustive account of what activism can be in a place where stability is imperative and the political system is largely closed. Conceptually, the aim is to find ways of analyzing and understanding contention in a place where there are little to no groups, yet a range of incoherent efforts to promote change.