WHAT IS A SOCIAL MOVEMENT?

Social movements were instrumental in the creation of the modern state and play a central role in the scope and direction of social change. What is a Social Movement? traces how the study of movements has become a major focus in the social sciences. This book aptly navigates the organizational, ideational, and cultural complexity of political and social movements. Notably, Hank Johnston analyzes how politics and culture intersect as people participate in movements. He focuses on (1) networked relations among movement groups and organizations, (2) the central role of their beliefs and ideologies, and (3) how groups give life to their ideas through performances of protest. What is a Social Movement? is essential reading for understanding this important field of research, where it came from, and where it is headed.

Hank Johnston is Professor of Sociology at San Diego State University and founding editor/publisher of Mobilization: An International Quarterly.