European civil actors for Palestinian rights and a Palestinian globalized movement: how norms and pathways have developed

The thesis reviews major social movement theories (i.e. Sidney Tarrow and Margeret Sikkink). The thesis benefits from major aspects of these theories, in relation to cycles of protest, scale shift, and repertoires. As of a sort of anti-thesis, the thesis discovers that the researched movement ((the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement- The BDS movement) suggests major deviations from these theories. Hence, the thesis mobilizes other literature, particularly of Pierre Bourdieu, to better account for agency and structures. This choice is enforced by the presence of academics that form a pillar in the movement. Yet, the thesis mobilizes together diverse dimensions from political science and theory, social movement literature, and sociology, and with a constant check with the case itself. The methodological choice of the research goes back and forth between theories and the case (abductive methodology). The research finally discusses other literature more relevant to the case (i.e. by Amitav Acharya), which argues that local actors try to protect their norms from abuse by central forces, and they do not only import norms but also diffuse new norms. As a conclusion (or a sort of synthesis) the research concludes that this transnational movement infuses diverse norms from different experiences and regions while adhering to universal norms such as comprehensive human rights. Moreover, the movement follows diverse pathways that include a Palestinian emergence, a Global Southern path and through the North. And these pathways enforce the adherence of the movement to specific norms. Such findings diverge from “Euro-centric” approaches in discussed social movements’ literature in the thesis, though they benefit from aspects of transnational movements’ literature on some aspects.