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Contemporary Social Movements
Historical and Descriptive Accounts

David A. Snow (Edited by), Snow (Author), Doug McAdam (Edited by), Dana M. Moss (Edited by)

9781394300334, Wiley

Paperback / softback, published 5 February 2026

256 pages
27.2 x 21.3 x 1.8 cm, 0.567 kg

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

Subject Areas: Sociology & anthropology [JH]
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