Contemporary Social Movements

Presents an essential guide to understanding the dynamics of today's global social movements Contemporary Social Movements: Descriptive & Historical Accounts responds to the urgent need for comprehensive, accessible overviews of the most consequential social movements shaping our world. Edited by renowned scholars in the field of social movements, this timely volume offers rich, empirically grounded, and historically situated portraits of 33 major contemporary movements. From the climate strike campaigns and #MeToo to right-wing populism and Islamist extremism, these movements reflect the multifaceted nature of modern collective action and the wide array of issues confronting societies across the globe. Contemporary Social Movements brings together original contributions from leading experts, each tasked with describing the origins, trajectories, goals, and contemporary significance of a specific movement. Accessible chapters span seven thematic sections, including democratic struggles, economic and environmental justice, race and ethnicity, gender and sexuality, political polarization, and extremism. The book emphasizes descriptive clarity over theory-building, making it especially valuable for readers seeking to understand how movements emerge, evolve, and contend with power. Providing a balanced and comprehensive view of a global range of movements, including progressive, conservative, and extremist groups, Contemporary Social Movements: Offers 33 original, expertly written chapters by leading scholars with deep expertise in the specific movements they analyze Reflects key areas of contemporary contention, from democracy and economics to identity and the environment Addresses both proactive and reactive forms of collective action, helping readers understand the full spectrum of movement dynamics Features movements often overlooked or misunderstood in mainstream discourse, such as AI safety activism and Hindu nationalism Contextualizes movements in relation to broader political, socioeconomic, and cultural developments Includes contemporary examples with immediate relevance, such as MAGA and Black Lives Matter Encouraging critical engagement with the role of collective action in shaping societal change, Contemporary Social Movements: Descriptive & Historical Accounts is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students in sociology, political science, global studies, and related fields. It is particularly relevant for courses on social movements, contentious politics, and social problems within BA, MA, and PhD degree programs.

Editors Biosketches vii Contributor/Author Biosketches viii Introduction 1 PART I: PRO- AND ANTI-DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENTS 5 Chapter 1: Right-wing Populist Political Movements 7 Kerem Morgül Chapter 2: Trumpism, the Maga Movement, and 6 January 2021 14 Sidney Tarrow Chapter 3: Democratic Uprisings and Unarmed Protests 22 Benjamin S. Case Chapter 4: Hong Kong: From Anti-extradition to Anti-authoritarian Movement 28 Edmund W. Cheng, Samson Yuen PART II: POLITICAL ECONOMY 35 Chapter 5: The Rise and Fall of the Tea Party Insurgency 37 Patrick Rafail, John D. McCarthy Chapter 6: Anti-austerity Protests in Europe 43 Maria Kousis Chapter 7: Labor Mobilization and Revitalization in the Twenty-first Century 49 Sara Gia Trongone, Barry Eidlin Chapter 8: Anti-extraction Movements and Global Capitalism 56 Alessandro Morosin Chapter 9: Anti-globalization Movements 63 James Goodman, S. A. Hamed Hosseini PART III: ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENTS 71 Chapter 10: Anti-fossil Fuel Activism and Climate Change 73 Andrew Cheon Chapter 11: Environmental Justice and Climate Justice Movements 80 Paul D. Almeida, Rasha Naseif, Luis Rubén González Márquez Chapter 12: Greta Thunberg and the Climate Strike Movement 87 Mattias Wahlstrom, Katrin Uba Chapter 13: Extinction Rebellion 93 Brian Doherty, Graeme Hayes, Clare Saunders PART IV: RACE AND ETHNICITY 99 Chapter 14: Black Lives Matter in the United States and Around the World 101 Emmanuel Cannady, Elizabeth Jordie Davies Chapter 15: The US Immigrant Rights Movement 108 Chris Zepeda-Millán, Ramon Garibaldo Valdez Chapter 16: Indigenous Peoples' Movements 115 Jeffrey A. Gardner, Patricia Richards Chapter 17: White Supremacist Movements Worldwide 122 Heidi Beirich PART V: GENDER, SEXUALITIES, AND BODIES 129 Chapter 18: Pro-life and Pro-choice Movements 131 Deana A. Rohlinger Chapter 19: #MeToo as a Form of Feminist Activism 137 Jo Reger Chapter 20: Male Supremacist Men's Movements 143 Emily K. Carian Chapter 21: LGBTQ Movements in the United States 149 Amy Stone Chapter 22: The Disability Rights Movement in the United States 155 David Pettinicchio PART VI: CULTURAL AND POLITICAL POLARIZATION 163 Chapter 23: Guns in Politics 165 Jennifer Carlson Chapter 24: Cultural Conflict in Higher Education 171 Amy J. Binder Chapter 25: Student Movement for Gaza on US Campuses 177 Anna Johnson, Atalia Omer Chapter 26: The Anti-vaccination Movement and Science Denialism 184 Kevin A. Estep, David A. Snow Chapter 27: From Fringe to Frontlines: The Evolution of the AI Safety Movement 191 John Bliss Chapter 28: Progressive Religious Movements 196 Rhys H. Williams, Todd Nicholas Fuist PART VII: EXTREMISM 203 Chapter 29: Alt-right and Patriot Militia Extremism 205 Robert Futrell, Pete Simi Chapter 30: Antisemitic and Hate Movements 211 James Hawdon, Matthew Costello Chapter 31: White Christian Nationalism 218 Philip Gorski, Samuel L. Perry Chapter 32: Hindu Nationalism: Movement, Network, and Para-state 225 Thomas Blom Hansen Chapter 33: Islamist Extremist Movements: Al-Qaeda and ISIS 231 Anne Likuski Index 237