Populism and social theory

In the scholarly discussion of populism, less attention is paid to typical societal and sociological dimensions, relating to, among others, the role of civil society, social movements, forms of mobilization, personality structures and political cultures, or even to macro-sociological concerns such as the structural transformations of society, political culture, and social imaginaries. Sociological and social-theoretical approaches appear as relatively marginalized. In recent times, however, significant social-theoretical and sociological contributions are challenging the predominance of political science, by offering novel insights into the populist phenomenon or by re-elaborating or applying important concepts and understandings that stem from the social-theoretical canon. In the chapter, I will engage with a number of recent contributions in the field of social theory and sociology, from critical theory, cultural sociology, civil society analysis, political sociology, normative theory, and democratic sociology. The discussion will bring out a number of key areas in which sociology provides a noteworthy contribution to the debate on populism.