Social Movements and Social Classes

This work focuses on issues of social movements and social class from the perspective of collective action, and discusses topics such as: middle-class radicalism; class; racism; urban politics; citizenship; education; and democracy. It asks questions such as: how integrative and expansive is collective action in the constitution of modern societies?; and how can we articulate issues of collective action, and social movement's practices and class action within this integrative understanding? The first part of this work reviews various analytical models and attempts to explain the modern foundations for collective action. Part two examines the close links between local power structures, spatial issues and the institutionalization of collective action. The final section looks at how social struggles penetrate political life, and reflects on considerations of culture and democracy.