Silence and Voice in the Study of Contentious Politics

The aim of this book is to highlight and begin to give 'voice' to some of the notable 'silences' evident in recent years in the study of contentious politics. The seven co-authors take up seven specific topics in the volume: the relationship between emotions and contention; temporality in the study of contention; the spatial dimensions of contention; leadership in contention; the role of threat in contention; religion and contention; and contention in the context of demographic and life-course processes. The seven spent three years involved in an ongoing project designed to take stock, and attempt a partial synthesis, of various literatures that have grown up around the study of non-routine or contentious politics. As such, it is likely to be viewed as a groundbreaking volume that not only undermines conventional disciplinary understanding of contentious politics, but also lays out a number of provocative new research agendas.

Preface; 1. Silence and voice in the study of contentious politics: an introduction Sidney Tarrow; 2. Emotions and contentious politics Ron Aminzade and Doug McAdam; 3. Space in contentious politics William H. Sewell, Jr.; 4. Temporality in the study of social movements and revolutions Doug McAdam and William H. Sewell, Jr; 5. Leadership dynamics and the dynamics of contention Ron Aminzade, Jack Goldstone and Elizabeth J. Perry; 6. The scared, religious, and secular in contentious politics: blurring boundaries Jack Goldstone and Elizabeth J. Perry; 7. Threat (and opportunity): popular action and state response in the dynamics of contentious action Jack Goldstone and Charles Tilly; 8. Contention in demographic and life-course context Jack Goldstone and Doug McAdam; 9. Harmonizing the voices: thematic continuity across the chapters Doug McAdam.

The aim of this book is to highlight and give 'voice' to some of the notable 'silences' evident in recent years in the study of contentious politics. The co-authors hope to redress the present topical imbalance in the field by taking up seven specific topics in the volume.