Power in movement : social movements and contentious politics / Sidney G. Tarrow.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 275-313) and index.

Machine generated contents note: Introduction; 1. Contentious politics and social movements; Part I. The birth of the modern social movement; 2. Modular collective action; 3. Print and association; 4. States, capitalism, and contention; Part II. Powers in Movement: 5. Acting contentiously; 6. Networks and organizations; 7. Making meanings; 8. Threats, opportunities, and regimes; Part III. Dynamics of Contention: 9. Mechanisms and processes of contention; 10. Cycles of contention; 11. Struggling to reform; 12. Transnational contention; Conclusion: the future of social movements.

"Social movements have an elusive power but one that is altogether real. From the French and American revolutions to the post-Soviet, ethnic, and terrorist movements of today, contentious politics exercises a fleeting but powerful influence on politics, society, and international relations. This study surveys the modern history of the modern social movements in the West and their diffusion to the global South through war, colonialism, and diffusion, and it puts forward a theory to explain its cyclical surges and declines. It offers an interpretation of the power of movements that emphasizes effects on the lives of militants, policy reforms, political institutions, and cultural change. The book focuses on the rise and fall of social movements as part of contentious politics in general and as the outcome of changes in political opportunities and constraints, state strategy, the new media of communication, and transnational diffusion"-- Provided by publisher.