Social Movements and Futures Research

This article discusses sociological approaches to the study of social movements and assesses their relevance for futures research. Older theories of collective behavior viewed mass protest as result of structural strains or collapse of order. Revolutions were seen as an inevitable result of social disenfranchisement. More recent theories argued that deprivation exists often without the occurrence of any upheavals and stressed the importance of resource mobilization, political opportunities, collective identity, common goals, and transhistorical struggle for recognition. Although each of the different approaches has its problems, combined they are providing a valuable resource for a reconceptualization of futures research.