Social Theory and Social Movements

Social movements are not only a potential challenge to societies, they also challenge social theory. This volume looks at social movements and social movement research through the lens of different social theories. What can social movement studies learn from these theories? And: What can these theories learn from the analysis of social movements? From this double vantage point, the book discusses the theories of Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, Niklas Luhmann, Jeffrey Alexander, and Judith Butler, as well as rational choice theory, relational sociology, and organizational neo-institutionalism.ContentsPaths of Innovation in Social Movement Research TheoryDiscourse, Power and GovernmentalitySocial Movements and the Rationality of ChoiceBourdieu Meets Social MovementsSocial Movements and Sociological Systems TheoryInequality, Inclusion, and ProtestSocial Movements and Neo-InstitutionalismJudith Butler and the Politics of ProtestNetworks, Interaction, and ConflictAudienceThe book is addressed to students, scholars and researchers in the field of social movement studies as well as those interested in social theory, social change, and the role of social movements in society.EditorsDr. Jochen Roose is Professor for Social Sciences at the Willy Brandt Zentrum of the University Wroclaw, Poland.Dr. Hella Dietz works at the Institute for Sociology at the Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany.