Comparative Perspectives on Social Movements: Political Opportunities, Mobilizing Structures, and Cultural Framings

Description

Social movements such as environmentalism, feminism, nationalism, and the anti-immigration movement figure prominently in the modern world. Comparative Perspectives on Social Movements examines social movements in a comparative perspective, focusing on the role of ideology and beliefs, mechanisms of mobilization, and how politics shapes the development and outcomes of movements. It includes case studies of the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, the United States, Italy, the Netherlands, and West Germany.

"...this edited book is an invaluable resource..." Crawford Young, Perspectives on Political Science "These four essays...should become required reading for every graduate course on social movements...the volume shows far more coherence than most anthologies and much cross-referencing between chapters...the strength of the volume is its examination of grassroots social movements and their sometime connections to public interest lobbies...The goal of the authors, however, is to provide a broad framework for systematic comparative study of social movements. In this they have ably succeeded." Carol M. Mueller, Contemporary Sociology "This book is a successful attempt by the editors and authors, leading theorists in the social movement field, to assess and further the growing field of comparative analysis of social movements. Overall, this volume makes a major contribution to the development of our understanding of social movements and adds to our knowledge of politics, the state, and culture." Robert Kleidman, Social Forces