Introduction: Dynamics of Contention Ten Years On

Abstract

Ten years from the publication of Dynamics of Contention, written with Charles Tilly, the editors of Mobilization have asked us to identify work that reflects on the perspectives presented in that book. Dynamics of Contention attempted too many things: accounts of contention in Western and non-Western societies; consideration of a variety of forms of contention; a critique of the too-narrow focus on western reformist movements in social movement research; a call for a mechanism-and-process approach. For this symposium, we asked our colleagues to focus primarily on that final goal because we see it as the one making the most progress in this area since the publication of DOC. We dedicate this symposium to the memory and the example of Charles Tilly.