Political Altruism? ─ Solidarity Movements in International Perspective

Political Altruism? deals with participation in political activities aimed at defending the rights of other individuals and groups, such as asylum seekers, immigrant workers, populations of Third World countries, and people whose fundamental human rights are being harmed. This volume shows why political altruism is better seen as the result of social interactions rather than of a supposedly altruistic outburst. Contributors address the theoretical questions at the core of social movement theory, using country-specific studies including France, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, and the U.S., while also examining the growing internationalization of solidarity movements, their outcomes, and consequences.

Marco Giugni is a researcher at the Department of Political Science at the University of Geneva. He has authored or coauthored several books and articles on social movements. He is the author ofEntre strategie et opportunite (1995), coauthor of New Social Movements in Western Europe (1995) andHistoires de mobilisation politiques en Suisse (1997), and coeditor of From Contention to Democracy (1998) and How Social Movements Matter (1999). His current research focuses on mobilization over ethnic relations, citizenship and immigration in a cross-national comparative project (MERCI).Florence Passy is assistant professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Geneva. She has written extensively on social movements and political participation. She is the author ofL’action altruiste (1998) and coauthor of Histoires de mobilisation politiques en Suisse (1997). Her current research focuses on mobilization over ethnic relations, citizenship and immigration in a cross-national comparative project (MERCI).