The NGOization of Social Movements in Neoliberal Times

Drawing on theories in politics, sociology, gender and feminist studies, and social movement studies, this book compares and contrasts NGOized feminist organizations and informal street feminist groups in Belgium and Romania in order to understand the transformation of modern and contemporary feminist movements. Chapters trace the development of this NGOization process and its entanglements with neoliberal modes of governance and techniques and proposes an historically and empirically grounded analytical model to studying the NGOization of feminist movements as a multidimensional process. By analyzing the NGOization process through a cross-national comparison based on very different cases, the book disentangles the links between institutionalization, professionalization, bureaucratization and precarization and brings clarifications concerning the outcomes associated with them, such as demobilization, depoliticization, co-optation and burn-out. This book places the NGOization offeminist movement organizations within the specific context of relations between the state and the market in neoliberalism.

This book will be of interest to scholars and researchers across Gender & Feminist Studies, Social Movements, Sociology, and Politics.

“NGOization of social movements is a widespread but little studied phenomenon which acquires different characteristics in different times and places. Through an in-depth comparison of feminist movements in Belgium and Romania,  this book contributes to fill a gap in social movement studies as well as in gender studies by analysing the complex processes of professionalization, institutionalization  and bureaucratization of contentious politics as well as the potential risks of depoliticization, demobilization and co-optation they bring about.” (Donatella della Porta, Scuola normale superior, Florence, Italy)

“Building on international comparison and fieldwork conducted in the late 2010s, Alexandra Ana unveils the neoliberal governance mechanisms driving contemporary feminist activist practices and subjectivities. Original and convincing, her critical analysis overcomes normative, worn-out categories that often pervade both academic literature and activist debates, such as “de-politicization”, “Ngoization”, or “bureaucratization”, to shed light on states and markets dynamics shaping women’s mobilizations.” (Ioana Cîrstocea, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris, France)

“Alexandra Ana’s book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding how a social movement (organization) transforms into an NGO. This book is not only a valuable contribution to the study of contemporary feminist movements in Europe; it also sheds light on an issue that has often been overlooked in social movement studies. By comparing Belgium to Romania, Alexandra Ana is able to unpack the various dynamics at play in the NGOization process, as well as to explore its consequences on actors, organisations and social struggles.” (David Paternotte, Université libre de Bruxelles, Belgium)

Alexandra Ana is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie postdoctoral fellow at Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium, working on resistance to anti-gender movements and politics, within a decolonial framework and from a comparative perspective. In 2023, she won a National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS) postdoctoral scholarship with a project titled “Strange bedfellows and unholy alliances: the role of coalitions in conservative movements”, based on a comparative study between the UK, France and Romania. She previously taught gender, urban, visual and general sociology at Sciences Po. Her recent publications focus on feminist movements, coalitions and resistance.