New Social Movements in Western Europe

A Comparative Analysis

1995
Authors:

Hanspeter Kriesi, Ruud Koopmans, Jan Willem Duyvendak, and

Explores the ecology, gay rights, peace, and women’s movements in Western Europe.

New social movements are defined as those that have arisen since the late sixties, and include the ecology, gay rights, peace, and women’s movements. This volume provides a cross-national comparison of the development, mobilization, and impact of new social movements in four Western European nations-France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

“A clear and informed presentation that is exemplary in its applications of theory in the face of empirical evidence. This volume sheds new light on some of the most interesting cases of Western European social movements.”Chris Rootes, Director Centre for the Study of Social and Political Movements, University of Kent at Canterbury

New social movements are defined as those that have arisen since the late sixties, and include the ecology, gay rights, peace, and women’s movements. This volume provides a cross-national comparison of the development, mobilization, and impact of new social movements in four Western European nations-France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.

Seeking to move beyond classical theories of collective behavior, this study suggests that social change affects political mobilization indirectly through a restructuring of existing power relations. The authors of this study employ empiricial analysis to demonstrate that the mobilization of social movements is closely linked to conventional politics in the parliamentary and extraparliamentary arenas of each of the countries under discussion.

Copublished with University College. London


Hanspeter Kriesi is professor of political science at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Ruud Koopmans is a researcher at the Science Center, Berlin. Jan Willem Duyvendak is currently affiliated with the Amersterdam School for Social Reasearch. Marco G. Giugni is currently engaged in a comparative research project, financed by the Swiss national science foundation, on the impacts of social movements.

“A clear and informed presentation that is exemplary in its applications of theory in the face of empirical evidence. This volume sheds new light on some of the most interesting cases of Western European social movements.”Chris Rootes, Director Centre for the Study of Social and Political Movements, University of Kent at Canterbury

“As a lecturer in social movements, I can only salute such a series which offers some challenging topics for debates and an overview of the most recent developments in this area.” Social Discourse

“A superior, cutting-edge volume that is theoretically solid and empirically sound. Clearly and concisely written, the volume is a necessity for social movement researchers and graduate students.” CHOICE

“An outstanding study whose merits can hardly be overstated. . . . Their study is a major contribution to systematic and comparative research on new social movements.” Contemporary Sociology