On the Issues of Social Movements in Armenia։ Civic Influence or a Step Towards Democratization?

Abstract

Social movements in Armenia are a topical subject of political science analysis by both world, regional and Armenian researchers. Scientific interest in Armenia in this topic of social movements and civic influence arose in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when democratization began in the political life of the Armenian society. In this article, social movements are analyzed as an organized structure of actions, which is endowed with certain democratic resources, presence in a public environment, special knowledge and skills that allow effective communication with public authorities in order to resolve this discontent. From this boiling point, social movements represent an integral element of the democratic regime of the political system of the Armenian transformational society. Public movements in Armenia are a mechanism for expressing the point of view of representatives of civil society, a way of highlighting in the public space those discontent that arise in society, a way of citizens’ participation in politics, and not just in the period between elections. The article focuses on the fact that social movements in Armenia can also be viewed as a democratic resource that should be more effectively cooperated with the authorities, the ruling party and other parliamentary parties for a civilized solution of problems, in which the authorities and the civil environment are interested.