Movement dilemmas under authoritarianism: national and local activism in Russia

Scholars of social movements are often skeptical about the applicability of their analytical tools and theories, mainly developed for advanced democracies, to the analysis of civic and political life in authoritarian states. In this article, I will apply the micro-sociological strategic interactionist perspective to analyze the national political oppositionist movement and local grassroots mobilizations in Russia and show that movement players and activists in authoritarian states have agency, face dilemmas, and make strategic choices informed by their understanding of the situation and the adversaries they interact with.