In recent years Western democracies have witnessed a development of social movements concerned with environmentalism, women's rights, peace, consumerism and other issues. To their supporters these movements are the vanguard of a new society; to their critics they represent a fundamental threat to social and political order. Assembling an international group of social scientists involved in research in this area, this book evaluates competing theories of the origins of social movements, how they function within existing ...
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In recent years Western democracies have witnessed a development of social movements concerned with environmentalism, women's rights, peace, consumerism and other issues. To their supporters these movements are the vanguard of a new society; to their critics they represent a fundamental threat to social and political order. Assembling an international group of social scientists involved in research in this area, this book evaluates competing theories of the origins of social movements, how they function within existing structures of interest intermediation and how they deal with other groups and representatives of the state. Also discussed are the differing claims regarding the partisan impact of these movements as a force for realignment or dealignment.
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