Singularity and identity in the 2013 demonstrations

Abstract

This article aims at discussing the singularity and identity in the 2013 Brazilian demonstrations. Assuming that these demonstrations should nob be considered as social movements, the article examines if, and how, activists make sense of collective meanings pervading their actions. Theoretically, the article explores the notion of collective identity in the literature about collective action and focuses on the paradoxical strengthening of individuation derived from recent social transformations. The article seeks to comprehend the strength of the idea of singularity in the contemporary construction of ties that ground contentious politics. Empirically, the article is based on 20 interviews with activists from the city of Belo Horizonte that have been engaged in the June Journeys (2013). The paper observes how these activists understand their presence and social ties in this political process though their narratives about it.