Understanding Social Movements

Social movements have become increasingly central in our world, and sociologists have analyzed them in many different ways. Buechler traces movement theories from the classical era of sociology to the most recent emphasis on transnational activism. In thirteen succinct chapters, this book identifies the socio-historical context, central concepts, and guiding logic of diverse movement theories. Examining shifting disciplinary boundaries, broader intellectual currents, and prevailing social activism, Buechler explains why theories posed different questions at different times and why paradigm shifts occurred when they did. The book begins with paired comparisons of Marx and Lenin, Weber and Michels, and Durkheim and LeBon. It then examines the Chicago School of the inter-war period, the political sociological approaches of the 1950s, and the varieties of strain and breakdown theories at the dawn of the 1960s. Buechler then traces the major paradigm shifts that occurred in response to the cascade of 1960s social movements. This rapidly changing disciplinary, intellectual and social context gave rise to the competing paradigms of resource mobilization theory, political process theory, framing and social constructionist approaches, and new social movement theory; each receives detailed examination in chapter length treatments. The concluding section of the book traces developments since the 1990s, including the critiques, debates, and proposed syntheses that dominated the field at the turn of the 21st century. It then examines proposals for a new 'œdynamics of contention'� approach as others emphasized the role of emotions in the conduct of 'œpassionate politics.'� The book concludes by tracing recent trends (including cyberactivism and transnational movements) and their implications for social movement theory.