It is widely recognized that social movements may spread - or 'diffuse' - from one site to another. Such diffusion, however, is a complex and multidimensional process that involves different actors, networks, and mechanisms. This complexity has spawned a large body of literature on different aspects of the diffusion process, yet a comprehensive framework remains an elusive target. This book is a response to that need, and its framework focuses on three basic analytical questions. First, what is being diffused? Second, how does diffusion occur? Finally, what is the impact of diffusion on organizational development and shifts in the scale of contentious politics? This volume suggests that diffusion is not a simple matter of political contagion or imitation; rather, it is a creative and strategic process marked by political learning, adaptation, and innovation.
This book is a response to that need, and its framework focuses on three basic analytical questions. First, what is being diffused? Second, how does diffusion occur?
In this book, Zirakzadeh examines different types of social movements, from the Greens in Germany to the Shining Path in Peru. The book concludes with a juxtaposition of the three major theoretical approaches and historical findings and proposes a fourth theoretical approach emphasizing factional conflict and reconciliation.
Other scholars who define social movements in terms of a group's deliberate
attempt to remake society include Goldberg (1991), Killian (1964), and Morris (
1984). Piven (1976: 300–1), however, contends that the concept of social movement ...
Globalization, Democratization, and Transnational Networks
The two current trends of democratization and deepening economic liberalization have made Latin American countries a ground for massive defensive mobilization campaigns and have created new sites of popular struggle. In this edited volume on Latin American social movements, original chapters are combined with peer-reviewed articles from the well-regarded journal Mobilization. Each section represents a major theme in Latin American social movement research. Original chapters discuss the Madres de Plaza de Mayo movement in Argentina and the Zapatista movement in Chiapas, Mexico. Also included in the book's coverage of the region's major movements are los piqueteros and antisweatshop labor organizing. This is the first study to focus closely on the related issues of neoliberal globalization, democratization, and the workings of transnational advocacy networks in Latin America.
This is the first study to focus closely on the related issues of neoliberal globalization, democratization, and the workings of transnational advocacy networks in Latin America.
Why Did the Anti-Austerity Movements Fail? Beyza Çağatay Tekin and Rıfat Barış
Tekin The world has witnessed a new wave of mass protests starting first in
crisishit Greece in spring 2010 against austerity measures, and then in the
Middle ...
This landmark volume brings together some of the titans of social movement theory in a grand reassessment of its status. For some time, the field has been divided between a dominant structural approach and a cultural or constructivist tradition.. The gaps and misunderstandings between the two sides--as well as the efforts to bridge them--closely parallel those in the social sciences at large. This book aims to further the dialogue between these two distinct approaches to social movements and to show the broader implications for social science as a whole as it struggles with issues including culture, emotion, and agency. Visit our website for sample chapters!
They provide a convenient opportunity for me to critically reflect on the current
status of social movement theory. Because of space limitations, it is impossible to
provide a comprehensive review and critique of this burgeoning field. In this
essay ...
Social Movements have become a central focus of political study in recent years. Paul Byrne's accessible account of British Social movements introduces students to the relevant theories, and puts them into practice by examining groups such as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Women's Movement and the Green Party. Byrne goes on to look at how the British scene compares with what is happening in the rest of Europe and in America.
6 CND and the peace movement We turn now to a consideration of particular movements in recent British politics. We have seen from our discussion of
theoretical viewpoints that public protest is arguably not the only significant
aspect of ...
Scott A. Hunt Robert D. Benford David A. Snow Two related but theoretically
unconnected sets of concepts have influenced recent social movement theory
and research. One set focuses on framing processes that affect the interpretive
schema ...
This book presents empirical research on the nature and structure of political violence. While most studies of social movements focus on single-nation studies, Donatella della Porta uses a comparative research design to analyze movements in two countries--Italy and Germany--from the 1960s to the 1990s. Through extensive use of official documents and in-depth interviews, della Porta is able to explain the actors' construction of external political reality, and to build a theory on political violence that synthesizes the various interactions among political actors.
