The Cognitive Dimension of Social Movements' Europeanization Processes. The Case of the Protests against ‘Fortress Europe’

Abstract

Abstract This paper examines the Europeanization of social movements through frame analysis. Focusing on the case of the French and German pro-asylum movements, it shows how they build new collective identities and increasingly recognize the role of EU institutions and policies. This analysis shows first of all that social movements' organizations coming from different national contexts Europeanize their frames to the same extent and through similar paths. It shows then that, within each country, social movements' organizations with different characteristics frame European institutions and policies differently. These differences are explained by their distinct strategies of protest and alliance at the European level. Organizations acting in Brussels through lobbying techniques tend to follow a process of frame transformation, and organizations protesting at the transnational level tend to follow processes of frame extension and frame bridging. This analysis concentrates on a panel of 23 organizations representative of the pro-asylum movements in France and Germany.