Learning in Social Movements - Emotion, Identity and Egyptian Diaspora Becoming ‘Logically and Emotionally Invested’ in the Continuing Struggle

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Marglet

Explores how learning operates within social movement activism through the case of Egyptian diaspora activists engaged in the continuing struggle following the Egyptian revolution. Using a qualitative analysis of diasporic accounts, the article foregrounds emotions as embodied and situated in emotionally rooted beliefs, values, and multiple identities. It applies a theoretical dialogue between diaspora, identity, and Boler’s ‘Pedagogy of discomfort’ to explain emotional dynamics of activism, connecting cognition and emotion as inextricably linked. Findings clarify how learning in struggle shapes connectedness and participation possibilities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages24

Reading Time1 h 0 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Diaspora: transnational connections and action

Australian Journal of Adult Learning Volume 59, Number 3, November 2019 Learning in social movements: Emotion, identity and Egyptian diaspora becoming ‘logically and emotionally invested’ in the continuing struggle Helen Underhill Manchester Metropolitan University This article explores the implications of learning in social movementson diaspora activists’engagement with struggle. Focussing on emotions within social movement learning and the connection to activists’ multiple identities, the paper examines the complex terrain of learning as embodied and rooted in emotionally situated beliefs and values. The theoretical framework that informs this enquiry brings diaspora and identity into conversation with emotions in social movement learning and Boler’s ‘Pedagogy of discomfort’. Developing these connections contributes a new approach to understanding the emotional dynamics of activism and the implications of learning in this context on social movement participation. Based on qualitative research with diasporic accounts of participating in activism related to the continuing Egyptian revolution, the analysis contributes a deeper understanding of how learning in struggle shapes multiple forms of connectedness and the implications learning in this context can have for activists’ engagement with struggle. The findings add to existing knowledge of learning in social movements through a framework where cognition and emotion are ‘inextricably linked’(Boler, 1999, 366 Helen Underhill p. xix) and to diaspora studies by highlighting that engagement is underpinned by situated and embodied identities that shape possibilities for learning. Keywords: social movement learning, activism, emotion, diaspora, identity Introduction The study of learning in various spaces and forms of resistance (see Hall, & Turay, 2006) has been critical to addressing the acknowledged limited recognition within dominant studies of social movements of how the people within a movement are impacted through their participation (Giugni, 2008; Bosi & Uba, 2009; Van Dyke, & Dixon, 2013). Social movement learning, a field within adult education that garnered increased interest after the mid-1990s (Harley, 2012), established that spacesand practices of resistance involve valuable knowledge creation and development of critical consciousness (Freire, 1970; Eyerman, & Jamison, 1991; Welton, 1993; Holford, 1995; Foley, 1999; Hall, & Turay, 2006). While events such as the ‘Arab Spring’ in 2011 garnered significant global attention and have been analysed as national expressions of revolution, significant gaps remain in understanding the range of actors who participated in and how they were impacted by the movements. The aim of this paper is to further conceptualise activism in the contemporary global political context and build on the current understanding of learning in social movements. It does this by exploring a specific case of social movement learning—diaspora activism in the continuing Egyptian revolution—and examining the implications of learning in a social movement through theoretical intersections of emotion, identity and social movement learning. The empirical data contributes an original perspective on the Egyptian revolution and the contribution of UK-based Egyptians to the broader political struggle in Egypt. The paper contributes a theoretical framework for understanding the implications of participating in social movements in a global context by drawing deeper connections between diaspora and the emotional dynamics of learning in social movements. This framework is followed by the methodology and a brief overview of the Egyptian case is then Learning in social movements 367 outlined before the qualitative data is presented with specific reference to activists’ words and reflections. It concludes with a brief discussion and recommendations for further study. Diaspora: transnational connections and action Global politics has been transfo

FAQs

What is the paper’s central focus in social movement learning?

It examines the implications of learning in social movements through diaspora activists’ engagement with struggle, emphasizing emotions, identity, and activism.

What theoretical framework guides the enquiry?

The paper connects diaspora and identity with emotions in social movement learning, drawing on Boler’s ‘Pedagogy of discomfort’ to analyze emotional dynamics.

How is the study conducted and what does it use as data?

It is based on qualitative research using diasporic accounts of participating in activism related to the continuing Egyptian revolution.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Marglet