The New Social Movements Revisited: Reflections on a Sociological Misunderstanding

Abstract

The relevance of the concept of class for analysis of contemporary social movements is examined. It is argued that the concept of class is too immersed in Marxist interpretations of the history of industrial society to have much relevance for understanding contemporary collective action. Contemporary social movements are not givens of the structure of society, but are socially constructed collective realities -- complex & composite action systems that result from the interaction of resources & limits of constituents of conflictual discourses. Characteristics of emerging collective phenomena include: (1) self-reflective form of action; (2) global dimension of action; (3) specific relation between latency & visibility; & (4) production of institutional change, new elites, & cultural innovation. Most importantly, emerging collective phenomena hinge not on class antagonisms, but on conflicts over the production & consumption of informational resources. 33 References. D. Generoli