Social Movements In Advanced Capitalism

Sociology and social movements are twin siblings of modernity that view the world as a social construction to be understood and transformed respectively. Based on this premise, Buechler argues for the centrality of social movements to the shape of the modern world as well as the discipline ofsociology. Building on a critical overview of current social movement theory, this book presents a structural model for analyzing social movements in advanced capitalism. This model provides a historically specific analysis that located movements in global, national, regional, and local structures.The heart of the book draws on diverse theoretical traditions within sociology (world system theory, critical theory, neo-Marxism, class/race/gender theories, theories of everyday life) to specify the structural constraints and opportunities that comprise the environment in which movements mobilizeand contest for power. Movement dynamics are explored in terms of their dialectical relationship with these multiple levels of structure. The book also addresses the recent shift and false dichotomies between political and cultural dimensions of social movements.This thoughtful introduction to the sociological study of social movements is an excelent supplementary text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in courses on collective action and social movements.

In thirteen succinct chapters, Buechler traces movement theories from the classical era of sociology to the most recent examples of transnational activism. He identifies the socio-historical context, central concepts, and guiding logic of diverse movement theories, with emphasis on: Comparisons of Marx and Lenin; Weber and Michels; and Durkheim and LeBon The Chicago School of the inter-war period The political-sociological approaches of the 1950s The varieties of strain and breakdown theories at the dawn of the 1960s Major paradigm shifts caused by the cascade of 1960s social movements Vivid examples of movements worldwide and coverage of all major theorists Critiques, debates, and proposed syntheses dominating the turn of the 21st century Recent trends (such as cyberactivism and transnational movements) and their theoretical implications"

At a particularly urgent world-historical moment, this volume brings together some of the leading researchers of social movements and global social change and other emerging scholars and practitioners to advance new thinking about social movements and global transformation. Social movements around the world today are responding to crisis by defying both political and epistemological borders, offering alternatives to the global capitalist order that are imperceptible through the modernist lens. Informed by a world-historical perspective, contributors explain today’s struggles as building upon the experiences of the past while also coming together globally in ways that are inspiring innovation and consolidating new thinking about what a fundamentally different, more equitable, just, and sustainable world order might look like. This collection offers new insights into contemporary movements for global justice, challenging readers to appreciate how modernist thinking both colors our own observations and complicates the work of activists seeking to resolve inequities and contradictions that are deeply embedded in Western cultural traditions and institutions. Contributors consider today’s movements in the longue durée—that is, they ask how Occupy Wall Street, the Arab Spring, and other contemporary struggles for liberation reflect, build upon, or diverge from anti-colonial and other emancipatory struggles of the past. Critical to this volume is its exploration of how divisions over gender equity and diversity of national cultures and class have impacted what are increasingly intersectional global movements. The contributions of feminist and indigenous movements come to the fore in this collective exploration of what the movements of yesterday and today can contribute to our ongoing effort to understand the dynamics of global transformation in order to help advance a more equitable, just, and ecologically sustainable world.

For years scholars have maintained that Social Credit was a protest on the part of small-scale farmers, who fought against their disadvantaged position in advanced capitalism by rejecting central Canada's control of the prairie region. The protest is usually described as conservative and its supporters portrayed as small agrarian capitalists who combined their opposition to regional exploitation with a firm commitment to capitalism. Based on a review of census materials on occupations, election results, and the party's statements and appeals, Bell reveals that this traditional interpretation is misguided on several counts. He provides a greatly revised picture of the movement's popular class base and its goals and motives, and shows that it was far more radical than commonly believed. The theory of social movements Bell draws from this analysis is applicable not only to Social Credit but to social movements in general. Social Classes and Social Credit in Alberta will be of particular interest to sociologists, political scientists, and historians concerned with Canadian social movements and elections and the political history of the Great Depression.

All sociology is implicitly critical because the sociological perspective questions and debunks what common sense takes for granted. Some sociology is explicitly critical of how the domination of states, corporations, the media, and other powerful institutions attenuate our potential for living autonomous lives in today's world. In Critical Sociology, Buechler explores sociology's double critique. The book opens with chapters on how to think sociologically; an overview of the scientific, humanistic, and critical schools of sociology; and a more detailed exposition of the critical tradition. He applies this critical tradition to economics, politics, and culture; to class, race, and gender; to individualism, self, and identity; and to globalization, social movements, and democracy.

Presenting a profound and far-reaching analysis of economic, ecological, social, cultural and political developments of contemporary capitalism, this book draws on the work of Karl Polanyi, and re-reads it for our times. The renowned authors offer key insights to current changes in the relations between the economy, politics and society, and their ecological and social effects.

An ideal introduction for undergraduate students of social movements in courses on sociology, social policy and political theory with a focus on collective action and social protest. The book provides accessible theoretical readings and case studies of particular movements concerned with women's rights, ethnicity and 'race', disability, peace, anti-privatization. It explores issues of youth and political involvement, free speech and unemployment and the role of voluntary and community groups in challenging traditional perspectives on democracy. There are contributions from writers at the cutting edge of recent empirical and theoretical work in these areas. Competition: Many texts focus on sociological approaches: (Nick Crossley, Making Sense of Social Movements, D Della Porta and M Siani, Social Movements: an Introduction; S Buechler, Social Movements in Advanced Capitalism). Our text will provide students with an accessible, clear and comprehensive introduction and critical analysis of new social movements and new social movements theory.