Contemporary Social Movements

Case studies are a vibrant and effective way to teach undergraduates how to think sociologically and theoretically about social movements. But until now, there is no short text which presents today’s social movements which engage students interests and which are analyzed using classic and contemporary perspectives. In one short volume, author Chelsea Starr achieves these teaching goals; her cases include global feminist activism (Riot Grrrl, LadyFest, Pussy Riot in Russia); Femicide Protests in Ciudad Juarez; Arab Spring in Libya, Egypt, Tunisia; Occupy Wall St., Idle No More, and Counter-Framing Movements on the political right. Theoretical thinking frames include collective behavior / social contagion, rational choice, resource mobilization, political opportunity/process, 'framing' , cultural approaches, organizational perspectives and movement dynamics. Short and reasonably priced to be useful with other texts for the course.