Explaining Cross-National Variations of Two Anti-Nuclear Movements: A Political Process Perspective

Abstract

A recurrent theme in social theory is the micro-macro linkage. In recent social movement research, too, the building of conceptual and empirical linkages between agency and structure has become a prominent concern. Based on empirical examples drawn from the nuclear energy debates in Germany and the United States, an attempt is made to develop a political process perspective that links structure and action in a four-component account. The components considered are: state structure, political culture, temporal opportunity, and movement organisation. This political process perspective helps to explain cross-national variations of the examined anti-nuclear movements.