Social Movement Theory Today: Toward a Theory of Action?

Grand theories of social movements, relating them to History or Society, are being dismantled and reevaluated. In their place approaches are emerging that offer a cultural and emotional theory of action, allowing analysts to build from the micro‐level to the macro‐level in a more empirical way rather than deductively from the top down. Social movements are composed of individuals and their interactions. Rational‐choice approaches recognize this, but their version of the calculating individual is too abstract to be realistic or helpful. Pragmatism, feminism, and related traditions are encouraging a rethinking of collective action.