Research on Social Movements in Southeast Europe: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Social movements and related phenomena have become an increasingly frequent subject of social research in Southeast Europe. Given the rapidly growing body of regional literature on the topic, it is necessary to understand its key characteristics and research trends. This article presents the results of a systematic literature review on social movements in ten Southeast European countries, based on an analysis of 254 scholarly papers indexed in the Scopus database. Several aspects of the reviewed articles are examined: country coverage within the region, commonly used methods, prevalent topics, the presence of authors and concepts from the field of social movement studies, case selection, and types of comparative research. Three main insights emerge from this review. First, research on social movements in Southeast Europe has intensified over the past decade, though case coverage across countries remains uneven. Second, single-case study designs dominate, with qualitative methods—particularly semistructured and unstructured interviews—being most frequently used. Third, the research agenda is primarily focused on mass protest waves, with right-wing mobilizations being relatively less explored. Considering these findings, the article concludes that there is room within the regional literature for further developments that could enhance both the academic and general relevance of research on social movements.