Frontlash/Backlash

In the aftermath of the Cold War, many societies seemed firmly set on a pathway to cultural re-integration, progressive reform, and democratic government. This didn’t happen. Instead, they have become increasingly polarized, and far-right antidemocratic forces are gaining power. In his new work, Jeffrey Alexander explains why, developing an approach to social change that challenges the faith in progress that underpins much contemporary thinking.

Far from being a smooth movement forward, progressive social change is like a car crash where cars pile up. The greater the movement forward, the greater the reaction to it. Reform movements – like antiracism, feminism, and open immigration – should be understood as frontlash movements creating extraordinary tensions. They challenge not only material interests but ideal ones – the taken-for-granted meanings that have made life worth living for those on the traditional side. Angry backlash movements slam on the brakes. They aim not only to halt forward progress, but to move backward, to how things were in the good old days.

The tensions between frontlash and backlash are explosive and destabilizing, challenging the broadly civil solidarity upon which democracy depends. Today we are witnessing a surge of powerful backlash movements in many parts of the world – in the US, in Europe, in India, and elsewhere. Against these onslaughts, the universalizing culture and institutions of democratic civil spheres have so far managed to retain their resilience, but how long can they continue to hold?