|
Abstract
|
Through detailed analysis of protest movements in Plaza del Sol (Madrid) and Tahrir Square (Egypt), this research examines how material elements gain and exercise political agency through network integration during urban social movements. Drawing on actor-network theory, the study analyzes specific mechanisms through which infrastructure elements transition from passive objects to active political actors in digitally mediated protest environments. The research demonstrates how material agency emerges through processes of translation and network formation rather than through inherent properties. Results indicate that protest agency manifests through temporal cascades of tactical adaptation, while digital platforms enable persistence of tactical knowledge across periods of state suppression. Urban furniture, communication networks, and physical barricades become active participants in protest assemblages through their integration into hybrid networks of resistance. These findings contribute to theoretical understanding of how material elements participate in urban protests, while providing crucial insights for social movements operating under evolving conditions of state surveillance and control.
|