Contemporary Social Movements

A RICH AND ACCESSIBLE EXPLORATION OF THE INFLUENTIAL SOCIAL MOVEMENTS OF OUR TIME We are living through a period of remarkable social movement activity. From large-scale democratic uprisings to reactionary campaigns resisting social change, contemporary movements have become central forces in shaping political, cultural, and economic life. Contemporary Social Movements: Historical and Descriptive Accounts offers a clear, engaging, and empirically grounded overview of the movements driving protest, resistance, and reform in the 21 st century. These include globally recognized efforts such as Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, the MAGA movement, Extinction Rebellion, and immigrant rights activism, as well as Hindu nationalism, AI safety, and other lesser-known but influential movements. Edited by distinguished scholars David A. Snow, Doug McAdam, and Dana M. Moss, this volume brings together leading experts to provide original descriptive accounts that emphasize each movement's origins, objectives, and evolving impact. Avoiding abstract theorizing in favor of reader-friendly historical narrative, the chapters are grouped into seven thematic sections, offering a comparative lens on issues including democracy, economic inequality, climate justice, identity politics, and extremism. Designed for clarity and relevance, Contemporary Social Movements: Historical and Descriptive Accounts is ideal for undergraduate and graduate students in sociology, political science, global studies, and related fields. It is especially well-suited for courses on social movements, contentious politics, and social problems, and will also interest general readers seeking to better understand today's most urgent collective struggles.