Social Movements : The Key Concepts

Social Movements: The Key Concepts provides an insightful, contemporary introduction to some of the frequently encountered terms and groups that are central to the study of collective action and social and political activism. Following an A-Z format, the entries defined and discussed are drawn from the following areas:

• the ‘old’ social movements of the nineteenth century
• the ‘new’ social movements of the 1960s and 1970s
• the rise of contemporary ‘network’ movements.

Key American, European and global social movements are addressed, with each entry related to contemporary developments and emergent tendencies within the field. Including helpful references for further study, this concise and up-to-date guide is of relevance for those studying a range of disciplines, including sociology, politics, cultural studies and human geography.

Graeme Chesters is Senior Research Fellow in Peace Studies at Bradford University, UK. His books for Routledge include Complexity and Social Movements: Multitudes at the Edge of Chaos (2006) with Ian Welsh.

Ian Welsh is Reader in Sociology at Cardiff University, UK. His books for Routledge include Mobilising Modernity: The Nuclear Moment (2000).