Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change

Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change, Volume 49 presents a rigorous and timely examination of contemporary social change, conflict, and collective action across global contexts. Through peer-reviewed chapters, it explores how individuals and communities respond to systemic challenges and engage in constructive interventions aimed at fostering justice and resilience.

The first two chapters focus on activism in response to pressing social issues. One offers a comparative analysis of racial justice movements in the United States and Cape Verde, highlighting both convergences and divergences in their approaches. The other investigates how service providers navigate and resist state anti-trafficking policies they perceive as detrimental to survivor welfare. Subsequent chapters examine diverse strategies for addressing entrenched social problems. In India, theatre is employed as a medium for confronting oppression and promoting civil discourse. In Ohio, USA, community-engaged research offers and analyses initiatives that foster connection between refugees and locals. A European case study explores participatory technology development among farmers, contributing to the literature on innovation and social change. The final chapter addresses Nigerian chieftaincy conflicts, offering qualitative insights into how local actors and state institutions might facilitate more peaceful transitions.

This collection is interesting reading for scholars seeking global, interdisciplinary perspectives on the mechanisms and impacts of social transformation.

Lisa Leitz is the Delp-Wilkinson Professor and Department Chair of Peace and Justice Studies at Chapman University, USA. Since 2018, she has served as the Series Editor of Research in Social Movements, Conflicts and Change. In addition to many articles and chapters on social movements, gender, and militaries/veterans, she wrote the award-winning research monograph Fighting for Peace: Veterans and Military Families in the Anti-Iraq War Movement (2014).