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Three models designed to explain cross-national similarities among social movements are presented. Several characteristics common to most protest movements -- levels of mobilization, timing of protest, & organizational structures -- are acknowledged to facilitate the identification of cross-national similarities in such movements. Overviews are provided of (1) the globalization model, which emphasizes how global interconnectivity affects the creation of transnational structures & programs that influence national social movements; (2) the structural affinity paradigm, which recognizes similar structures across different countries that may encourage international convergence; & (3) the diffusion model, which demonstrates how internal & external networks & organizations impact information flows that may prompt protests in certain nations. The combination of all three models into a general paradigm is advocated, since it is hypothesized that a strong connection exists between motivational factors, structural changes, & people's actions. The general model is subsequently applied to new social movements in multiple Western European nations including Switzerland & France. Future research is urged to apply the general model to nations outside Western Europe. 1 Figure, 49 References. J. W. Parker

Three models designed to explain cross-national similarities among social movements are presented. Several characteristics common to most protest movements -- levels of mobilization, timing of protest, & organizational structures -- are acknowledged to facilitate the identification of cross-national similarities in such movements. Overviews are provided of (1) the globalization model, which emphasizes how global interconnectivity affects the creation of transnational structures & programs that influence national social movements; (2) the structural affinity paradigm, which recognizes similar structures across different countries that may encourage international convergence; & (3) the diffusion model, which demonstrates how internal & external networks & organizations impact information flows that may prompt protests in certain nations. The combination of all three models into a general paradigm is advocated, since it is hypothesized that a strong connection exists between motivational factors, structural changes, & people's actions. The general model is subsequently applied to new social movements in multiple Western European nations including Switzerland & France. Future research is urged to apply the general model to nations outside Western Europe. 1 Figure, 49 References. J. W. Parker

Research on social movements has usually addressed issues of movement emergence and mobilization, yet has paid less attention to their outcomes and consequences. Although there exists a considerable amount of work on this aspect, little systematic research has been done so far. Most existing work focuses on political and policy outcomes of movements, whereas few studies address their broader cultural and institutional effects. Furthermore, we still know little about the indirect and unintended consequences produced by movements. Early studies have dealt with the effectiveness of disruptive and violent actions and with the role of several organizational variables for movement success. More recently, scholars have begun to analyze movement outcomes in their political context by looking at the role of public opinion, allies, and state structures. A comparative perspective promises to be a fruitful avenue of research in this regard.

Introduces an edited collection of essays investigating the relationship between social movements & social change processes. Three kinds of change that might be produced by social movements are outlined: incorporation of social movements into existing institutional arrangements; transformation of social & political institutions; & democratization of societies in which social movements arise. Particular processes naturally occur in these types of change. Contributions to this book are organized according to one of these three processes, examining the (1) incorporation of movements into partisan politics, state policies, & public discourse in several settings, including France in 1968; (2) capacity of movements to transform basic social & political patterns, focusing on highly industrialized, complex societies; & (3) capacity of movements to promote democracy, especially in the context of Latin America. The future of social movements is briefly discussed. D. Ryfe

Provides a general framework for the study of cross-national similarities among social movements by looking at three broad social processes: globalization, structural affinity, & diffusion. Each of these concepts is at the core of three apparently rival explanations of movement similarities. (1) The globalization model explains similarities among social movements as a product of similar movement reactions to transnational political opportunities. (2) The structural affinity model states that similar national political opportunity structures account for similarities among social movements across countries. (3) The diffusion model that the adoption of information from abroad causes similarities among social movements in different countries. The three concepts are integrated in a general model of cross-national similarities among social movements, which is illustrated with secondary, official, & newspaper data on new social movements in France, Switzerland, the Netherlands, & the Federal Republic of Germany. 1 Figure, 49 References. Adapted from the source document.

L'idea di un'Italia federale è entrata nel dibattito pubblico nel corso degli ultimi anni. Una delle cause principali di questa avanzata è certamente l'ascesa della Lega, che del federalismo ha fatto il suo credo fondamentale. Recentemente, l'idea di trasformare l'Italia da paese centralizzato e unitario (non dimentichiamo comunque il relativo decentramento avvenuto a partire dagli anni settanta attraverso il rafforzamento delle regioni) a stato federale si è fatta strada in seno a molti partiti, tanto che nessuna forza politica sembra oggi opporsi in modo deciso a tale progetto di decentralizzazione territoriale e amministrativa del paese.

RésuméL'étude de l'action collective et des mouvements sociaux a été caractérisée par deux grandes écoles. La tradition culturelle et sociologique européenne, qui présente des traits de l'idéalisme allemand et du holisme méthodologique, a conduit à étudier l'action collective principalement sur le plan théorique et macro‐sociologique. En revanche, la tradition américaine, plus axée sur le pragmatisme et l'individualisme méthodologique, a suggéré une analyse empirique se situant sur au niveau micro‐sociologique. Le développement des principales approches de l'action collective ‐ comportement collectif, mobilisation des ressources, processus politiques et nouveaux mouvements sociaux ‐ a vécu cette double tension. Cependant, les tentatives de synthèse sont récemment devenues plus intenses et les deux écoles ont notamment trouvé un terrain commun dans le concept de structure des opportunités politiques. La rencontre de ces deux traditions est positive pour l'avenir de la recherche dans ce domaine.

"Zwei grundlegende Denkrichtungen haben die Forschung im Bereich des kollektiven Handelns und der sozialen Bewegungen bestimmt. In der kulturwissenschaftlichen und soziologischen Tradition Europas, die geprägt ist durch den deutschen Idealismus und den methodologischen Holismus, wurde das kollektive Handeln in erster Linie vom theoretischen und makrosoziologischen Standpunkt aus untersucht. Im Gegensatz dazu steht die eher am Pragmatismus und dem methodologischen Individualismus ausgerichtete amerikanische Tradition, in der eine empirische Analyse unter mikrosoziologischem Blickwinkel geführt wird. Die Entwicklung der Hauptthemen in der Erforschung des kollektiven Handelns - kollektives Verhalten, Mobilisierung von Ressourcen, politische Prozesse und neue gesellschaftliche Bewegungen - hat in dem Spannungsfeld zwischen diesen beiden Polen stattgefunden. In letzter Zeit jedoch wird zunehmend an einer Synthese gearbeitet, wobei sich beide Denkansätze vor allem in der strukturellen Auffassung vom politischen Themenbereich aneinander annähern. Das läßt auf gute Ergebnisse in der zukünftigen Forschung auf diesem Gebiet hoffen." (Autorenreferat)

Investigates the incorporation of certain kinds of social movements into state structures, drawing on an empirical analysis of case studies of ecology & solidarity movements in France & Switzerland based on 6 interviews, survey data, & a review of government documents. It is suggested that the cooperation between these social movements & the state represents a qualitatively different process of incorporation than the traditional process experienced by labor movements. In particular, the content of the exchange between social movement actors & the state, the construction of shared goals, the place of agency, & the self-reflective character of the interactions suggest that these social movements have undergone a distinctive path toward incorporation. It is unclear whether this new process is temporary, but it is apparent that movements taking this path have made an impact on both state structures & the political process itself. 2 Tables, 2 Figures. D. Ryfe

Contrary to what is usually implied by work on the relationship between political opportunity structures and social movements, political institutions are not a general setting offering or denying formal access and political opportunities to every challenge, but rather favor certain types of movements and constrain others. This process of institutional selectivity depends on the relationship between the structure of a given political institution and the movement type and defines social movements as pro-institutional, counter-institutional, or neutral. Accordingly, variation in the movements' action repertoire and degree of success can be observed. Yet, political institutions leave the door open to different interpretations by social actors so that a framing struggle takes place; at stake is the fit between movement demands and the structure of political institutions. The argument is developed through the example of federalism and its impact on two types of movements—namely, regionalist and squatters' movements—and illustrated by discussing their fate in France, the Netherlands and Switzerland. Empirical data suggest that institutional selectivity is to be taken into account to reach a better understanding of the relationship between social movements and their political context.

From Contention to Democracy addresses a crucial aspect of contemporary societies: the role of social movements for political and social change. The volume gathers together essays written by prominent social theorists who have been asked to reflect on the relationship between movements and processes of social, political, and cultural change