“I Can Do It, We Can Change It”: Protest as a Catalyst for Political Efficacy

Abstract

This study examines how protest episodes foster political efficacy among ordinary citizens. Based on 44 in- depth interviews with participants in two major 2018 mobilizations in Spain—the feminist strike of International Women's Day and the pensioners' protests—the analysis identifies discursive expressions that reflect attitudinal change across three dimensions: cognitive, agentic, and collective. These include increased political attentiveness, feelings of empowerment, and renewed belief in collective action. Notably, these expressions often combine in participants' narratives, suggesting a dynamic interplay between efficacy dimensions that reinforces perceptions of political agency. The study highlights three key mechanisms behind these transformations—exposure to reliable information, vicarious learning, and shared mastery experiences—that nurture both individual and collective efficacy. The analysis shows that the specific forms of efficacy change are shaped by both the nature of the protest episode and participants' prior protest experience, with first- time participants displaying the most varied changes. These findings underscore the transformative potential of emotionally resonant protest episodes. Far from being trivial or symbolic, even low- cost protest episodes may function as socially embedded learning environments.Este artículo examina cómo los episodios de protesta fomentan la eficacia política entre la ciudadanía ordinaria. A partir de 44 entrevistas en profundidad con participantes en dos movilizaciones clave en España en 2018 —la huelga feminista del 8M y las protestas de pensionistas—, el estudio identifica expresiones discursivas que reflejan cambios actitudinales en tres dimensiones: cognitiva, agéntica y colectiva. Estos cambios incluyen una mayor atención política, sentimientos de empoderamiento y una renovada confianza en la acción colectiva. Se destacan tres mecanismos principales detrás de estas transformaciones: exposición a información fiable, aprendizaje vicario y experiencias compartidas de dominio. Los hallazgos muestran que incluso episodios de protesta de bajo coste pueden actuar como espacios de aprendizaje político y de fortalecimiento de la agencia ciudadana.