This article aims to explain the explosive nature of the initial phases of different protest
cycles (the social outbreak happened in Chile in 2019, among them). To do so, we
drafted a theoretical model to explain social uprisings based on the tuning,
synchronization and amplification of the emotional experience developed in the social
interactions taking place in protests, which are interactions that could be understood as
ritual spaces. This model had been preliminarily evaluated in a quantitative study
carried out with young university students. The results show that experiencing intense
unpleasant emotions is associated with greater participation, and with encouraging
others to participate. The experience of protesting is developed alongside strong
interpersonal networks, whereas participating produces pleasant emotions associated
with perceiving manifestation as a success. These results confirm the importance of
emotions and social interactions as enhancing elements of the explosive nature of
initial phases of the protest cycles.
Doctor en Metodología Cuantitativa. Sus líneas de investigación son los movimientos sociales, calidad de la docencia y psicometría. Actualmente es académico de la Universidad de Chile. rasun@uchile.cl
Karina RDZ-Navarro, Universidad de Chile
Doctora en Metodología. Sus líneas de investigación son los modelos de variable latente, modelos psicométricos y movimientos sociales. Actualmente es académica de la Universidad de Chile.
Meir Tintaya Orihuela, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Magister en Psicología. Sus líneas de investigación son la participación política no convencional y el empoderamiento. Actualmente es docente de la Facultad de Psicología de la Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.
Asún, R., RDZ-Navarro, K., & Tintaya Orihuela, M. (2020). Why do social outbreaks arise? Emotions, interpersonal networks, rituals, and protest participation. Última Década, 28(54), 5–40. Retrieved from https://ultimadecada.uchile.cl/index.php/UD/article/view/61491
