COPE

Social and political activism has always been marked by the deeply felt experience of emotions. Political authorities often rely on coercive and oppressive legal as well as ideological mechanisms to pre-emptively silence activists. By rendering them inaudible and socially invisible, protesting subjects are marginalized and excluded from social and political participation. Despite extensive research on political emotions and social movements, a notable gap remains concerning the conceptual and practical interrelation of anger, solidarity, and silencing. The project "Collective Anger, Political Solidarity, and Epistemic Silencing: A Phenomenological Qualitative Study of Georgian Protest Movements" (COPE) seeks to address this gap by developing an innovative conceptual framework. It aims to advance existing research by: 1) Exploring how collective anger constitutes political solidarity, particularly among victims of systemic repression; and 2) Examining how does it cope with silencing practices. COPE is an interdisciplinary project that integrates applied phenomenology, critical phenomenology, philosophy of emotions, political epistemology, and social movement studies. Its objectives will be pursued through a novel methodology that combines phenomenological interviews with digital ethnography. Empirical research will be closely integrated with conceptual analysis to provide a deeper understanding of the role of emotional dynamics in fostering more solidaristic and inclusive societies. In doing so, the project directly contributes to Horizon Europe’s Strategic Plan 2025–2027 (Cluster 2), particularly its priorities of strengthening democratic governance and inclusiveness.