Terrorism, mass uprisings, and political extremism are in the news every day. It is no coincidence that these phenomena come together at the beginning of a new era. Colin Beck provides a comprehensive survey of the intersection of radical social movements and political violence. This book is essential for understanding the challenges facing governments and societies today. Its engaging style and original approach make it indispensable for students and scholars across the social sciences who are interested in social movements.

“Sweeping and powerful…an indispensable guide to how culture, ideology, and social organization combine to give rise to radicalism in terrorism and revolutions.”
Jack A. Goldstone, George Mason University

“Succinct, punchy, well-written, and deeply analytical…a powerful corrective to dominant understandings of why individuals become involved in radical, often violent, forms of political action and contestation. Highly recommended.”
Richard Jackson, University of Otago, New Zealand

To purchase this title and receive a 20% discount off the retail price, click here and enter promotion code PY662 at checkout.

Every day around the world there are dozens of protests both large and small. Most groups engage the local police, some get media attention, and a few are successful. Who are these people? What do they want? What do they do to get it? What effects do they ultimately have on our world? In this lively and compelling book, James Jasper, an international expert on emotional dimensions of social movements, shows that we cannot answer these questions until we bring culture squarely into the frame. Protest: A Cultural Introduction to Social Movements is an invaluable contribution to understanding social movements for beginners and experts alike.

“A thorough, thoughtful, sophisticated, wide-ranging, and--if that weren't enough--wise handbook on, and for, the social movements on which the world so dearly counts.”
Todd Gitlin, Columbia University

“In interpretations of social movements, emotions have often been pitted against strategic thinking, feelings against cognition, agency against structures. In this volume, James Jasper brilliantly shows how these elements combine in the emergence and evolution of protest.”
Donatella della Porta, European University Institute

Mass protests have raged since the global financial crisis of 2008. Across the world students and workers and environmentalists are taking to the streets. Discontent is seething even in the wealthiest countries, as the world saw with Occupy Wall Street in 2011. Protest Inc. tells a disturbingly different story of global activism. As millions of grassroots activists rally against capitalism, activism more broadly is increasingly mirroring business management and echoing calls for market-based solutions. This landmark book sounds the alarm about the dangers of this corporatizing trend for the future of transformative change in world politics.

"Hard-hitting, passionate, and beautifully written…[a book] that deserves to be read by everyone who is interested in social change.”
Michael Edwards, Demos, New York, and editor of Transformation

To purchase this title and receive a 20% discount off the retail price, click here and enter promotion code PY662 at checkout.

From Gandhi's salt march to the US civil rights movement and Occupy Wall Street, nonviolent campaigns to promote democracy, human rights and social justice have long played an important transformative role in local, national and global politics. Some have succeeded, some have failed; but nonviolent action remains an effective means of achieving social and political change. In this authoritative book, Kurt Schock expertly guides readers through the changing terrain of nonviolent struggle, exploring the historical roots and development of modern civil resistance and its proliferation in recent decades. Civil Resistance Today will be an essential "one stop shop" for anyone keen to learn more about the methods, objectives and outcomes of civil resistance in the contemporary world.

“The most comprehensive overview available of the issues and approaches in the burgeoning field of strategic nonviolent action. For anyone who wants to better understand the history and dynamics of this growing phenomenon of popular mass mobilizations for social justice and political freedom.”
Stephen Zunes, University of San Francisco

The use of nonviolent action is on the rise. From the Occupy Movement to the Arab Spring and mass protests on the streets of Brazil, activists across the world are increasingly using unarmed tactics to challenge oppressive, corrupt and unjust systems. But what exactly do we mean by nonviolence? How is it deployed and to what effect? Understanding Nonviolence: Contours and Contexts is the first book to offer a comprehensive introduction to nonviolence in theory and practice. With cutting-edge contributions from leading scholars and practitioners in the field, this accessible and lively book is essential reading for activists, students and teachers of contentious politics, international security, and peace and conflict studies.

To purchase this title and receive a 20% discount off the retail price, click here and enter promotion code PY662 at checkout.

We see nonviolent resistance all over today’s world, from Egypt’s Tahrir Square to New York Occupy. Although last century was marked by wars and violent conflict, it was just as much a century of nonviolence as the achievements of Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. demonstrate. But what is nonviolence? In this unique study, Todd May, a philosopher who has himself participated in campaigns of nonviolent resistance, offers the first extended philosophical reflection on the compelling phenomenon of nonviolence. Students of politics, peace studies, and philosophy, political activists, and current politics will find this book an invaluable source for understanding one of the most prevalent, but least reflected upon, political approaches of our world.

“Ground-breaking …a magnificent new book, bringing the very best of contemporary philosophical theory into active conversation with the concerns and perspective of an experienced activist. Required reading for both scholars and intellectually engaged practitioners.”
Mark Lance, Georgetown University

If you have an idea for a book or are currently writing, Polity would like to hear from you. Proposals should give a brief synopsis of the central arguments and themes of the book, and it is very helpful for us to have the following information included:

• Proposed working title (the title should give a clear indication of the content of the book).
• Chapter-by-chapter outline.
• The estimated length (in thousands of words, including bibliography).
• A realistic delivery date.
• An outline for the proposed market, including which subject group(s) the book is aimed at; the names of particular courses on which the book might be used; the level at which the book is aimed. Think in international terms (e.g. Whether your book would be appropriate for the North American market).
• Information on whether your book is designed to be a research monograph, supplementary reading, a core textbook, or a book for general readers.
• Information on the main competing titles and how your proposed book is different.