Unlike political or economic institutions, social movements have an elusive power, but one that is no less real. From the French and American revolutions through the democratic and workers' movements of the nineteenth century to the totalitarian movements of today, movements exercise a fleeting but powerful influence on politics and society. This study surveys the history of the social movement, puts forward a theory of collective action to explain its surges and declines, and offers an interpretation of the power of movement that emphasises its effects on personal lives, policy reforms and political culture. While covering cultural, organisational and personal sources of movements' power, the book emphasises the rise and fall of social movements as part of political struggle and as the outcome of changes in political opportunity structure.
- ISBN13 9780521629478
- Publish Date 13 May 1998 (first published 29 July 1994)
- Publish Status Inactive
- Out of Print 11 September 2011
- Publish Country GB
- Imprint Cambridge University Press
- Edition 2nd Revised edition
- Format Paperback (US Trade)
- Pages 290
- Language English