Sociologist Tatiana Golova is investigating how network communication among activists shapes their willingness to become engaged and speak out publicly. Of particular interest here are protest themes that are open to various interpretations and draw actors from different political camps as well as decidedly ‘apolitical’ activists. Empirical investigations of such protests reveal how a given problem can be subject to different interpretations, for example as social injustice, corruption, or a violation of human dignity. The respective interpretive frame can either increase or reduce support for a campaign.

Willingness to cooperate is also influenced by collective interpretations of a given problem or, more generally, of the social world and the relevant actors. The latter are faced with the choice of competing or cooperating with each other, and the risks each option entails for their own identity or reputation. The project looks at how activists from different camps create temporary publics, both discursively and in practical terms, in a blend of pragmatism and solidarity.