Abstract
This study examined the continued relevance, legitimacy, and representation of contemporary social movements from the perspectives of activists in Peru. A qualitative phenomenological approach was employed with a purposive sample of 38 participants involved in different social movements. Data were collected through in-depth interviews conducted between January and March 2023 and analyzed through coding, category development, and cross-checking among researchers. The findings indicate that social movements emerge from shared experiences of dissatisfaction and injustice and are strengthened through collective identity, organization, alliances, and adaptive capacity. Legitimacy is associated with social recognition and consistency between demands and actions; representation depends on the connection between grassroots constituencies and those who articulate their interests; and continued relevance is linked to the ability of movements to preserve their social significance in changing contexts
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