Waters, S.A. orcid.org/0000-0002-0949-126X (Cover date: 1 February 2008) Situating Movements Historically: May 1968, Alain Touraine and New Social Movement Theory. Mobilization: an international journal, 13 (1). pp. 63-82. ISSN: 1474-2837
Abstract
Recent literature on social movements has called for a renewal of theory so that it engages more directly with the social and historical dynamics in which movements emerge and crystallize. Too often, some critics argue, movements are treated as static or reified phenomena that are disconnected from their links to space and time. I examine new social movement theory from an historical perspective that emphasizes its connections with concrete social dynamics at a given point in time. Unlike alternative approaches, new social movement (NSM) theory and in particular the work of Alain Touraine, was forged out of a specific episode of social conflict—the May 1968 revolt in France—and was deeply informed by the experience of this conflict. This theory provides a dynamic and relational model in which social and historical processes are treated as major determinants of collective action within society. In fact, what explains the success of NSM theory and its enduring influence over time, is that it reaches beyond an analysis of social movements to provide an overarching theory of society at a given historical juncture. The article suggests that NSM theory provides a fruitful perspective for scholars searching for an approach that take history into account.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Keywords: | social movement; May 1968; Alain Touraine |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Languages Cultures & Societies (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 01 Aug 2025 09:09 |
Last Modified: | 01 Aug 2025 09:09 |
Published Version: | https://meridian.allenpress.com/mobilization/artic... |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
Identification Number: | 10.17813/maiq.13.1.l3116043285p606w |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:229758 |