Linking Activism

This book, a unique examination of the activist striving to work for more holistic social change, creates a conceptual framework to give visibility to the complexity of activist practice that spans environmental and social justice concerns.

This book, a unique examination of the activist striving to work for more holistic social change, creates a conceptual framework to give visibility to the complexity of activist practice that spans environmental and social justice concerns.

First published in 2002. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Drawing on over thirty years of experience in community development practice, Eric Shragge offers a unique historical perspective on activism, linking various forms of local organizing to the broader goal of fundamental social change. This new edition places contemporary community organizing in a post-9/11 context and includes a discussion of national and international organizing efforts—in the Middle East, in the Occupy movement, in European resistance to austerity measures, and in recent student protests in Quebec. A new chapter-length case study covering Shragge's long-term involvement with the Immigrant Workers Centre in Montreal offers one of the few English-language discussions of community organizing in Quebec. Activism and Social Change is an excellent core or supplementary text in courses on social movements, community organizing, or community development.

Examining the relationships between activists and the changing political environment, this book analyses the trajectories of three major social movements in Taiwan during the country’s democratic transition between 1980 and 2000. In doing so, it explores why the labour and environmental movements became less partisan, while the women’s movement became more so. Providing a comparative discussion of these critical social movements, this book explores key theoretical questions and presents a rich and comprehensive analysis of social activism during this period of Taiwan’s political history. It focuses on causal mechanisms and variation and thus avoids the tautological trap of finding an ‘improving’ political opportunity structure wherever a social movement is flourishing. Drawing on extensive data from over 140 activists’ demographic backgrounds, the discussion also builds upon existing studies of the ‘biographical’ aspects of contention. This study then asks further questions about how certain tactics are chosen, not only how a repertoire of contention comes to have the shape it does. Combining both a theoretical and empirical approach, this book will be useful to students and scholars of Taiwanese politics and society, as well as social movements and democracy more generally.

A cutting-edge study showcases the emergence of contemporary youth activism in the United States, its benefits to young people, its role in strengthening society, and its powerful social justice implications. At a time when youth are too often dismissed as either empowered consumers or disempowered deviants, it is vital to understand how these young people are pushing back, challenging such constructions, and advancing new possibilities for their institutions and themselves. This book examines the latest developments in the field of contemporary youth activism (CYA) and documents the myriad ways in which youth activists are effecting social change, even as they experience personal change. By taking public, political action on a range of intersecting issues, youth activists are shifting their own developmental pathways, shaping public policy, and shaking up traditional paradigms. Section one of the book offers a historical perspective on youth activism in the United States, followed by a discussion of contemporary examples of CYA for social justice. The second and third sections analyze the individual, institutional, and ideological effects of CYA, arguing that youth activism works to promote change at three levels: self, systems, and in the broader society. Readers will come away with a clearer understanding of the many ways in which today's youth activists are working to reimagine and remake American democracy, reawakening the promise of a multi-issue, progressive movement for social justice.

Among the most well-known YouTubers are a cadre of talented Asian American performers, including comedian Ryan Higa and makeup artist Michelle Phan. Yet beneath the sheen of these online success stories lies a problem—Asian Americans remain sorely underrepresented in mainstream film and television. When they do appear on screen, they are often relegated to demeaning stereotypes such as the comical foreigner, the sexy girlfriend, or the martial arts villain. The story that remains untold is that as long as these inequities have existed, Asian Americans have been fighting back—joining together to protest offensive imagery, support Asian American actors and industry workers, and make their voices heard. Providing a cultural history and ethnography, Asian American Media Activism assesses everything from grassroots collectives in the 1970s up to contemporary engagements by fan groups, advertising agencies, and users on YouTube and Twitter. In linking these different forms of activism, Lori Kido Lopez investigates how Asian American media activism takes place and evaluates what kinds of interventions are most effective. Ultimately, Lopez finds that activists must be understood as fighting for cultural citizenship, a deeper sense of belonging and acceptance within a nation that has long rejected them. Instructor's Guide