The Unfinished Revolution: Social Movement Theory and the Gay and Lesbian Movement

Description

The Unfinished Revolution compares the post-Second World War histories of the American and British gay and lesbian movements with an eye toward understanding how distinct political institutional environments affect the development, strategies, goals, and outcomes of a social movement. Stephen M. Engel utilizes an electic mix of source materials ranging from the theories of Mancur Olson and Michel Foucault to Supreme Court rulings and film and television dialogue. The two case study chapters function as brief historical sketches to elucidate further the conclusions on theory and whilst being politically-oriented, they also examine gay influence and expansion into mainstream popular culture. The book also includes an appendix that surveys and assesses the analytical potential of five critical understandings of social movements: the classical approach, rational choice, resource mobilization, new social movement theories, and political opportunity structures. It will be of value to academics and students of sociology, political science, and history.

Stephen M. Engel is currently a PhD candidate in political science at Yale University and holds degrees from New York University and Wesleyan University. Currently, he is a Fellow at the American Bar Foundation where he continues his research on anti-Court activism in the United States. He has also published in Studies in American Political Development and the Advertising & Society Review.

'... Engel's effort is a worthwhile attempt to test the applicability of social movement theory with the realities of gay and lesbian movement in the UK and the US.' Yi-chun Wang, Sexualities