When Prof Emma Thomas watches the evening news, she can’t help but notice that “almost every story is about some form of collective action”. If people aren’t protesting in the streets, they’re mobilising after a crisis, joining grassroots campaigns or being drawn into extremist movements.
Being alert to group mobilisation goes with the territory for this Flinders University social psychologist, who has studied political engagement and extremism for more than 20 years. She says people are increasingly coming together to try to change the world around them – sometimes peacefully and constructively, and sometimes in ways that become more confrontational.
