Methodological Practices in Social Movement Research

Book excerpt: Social movement studies have grown enormously in the last few decades, spreading from sociology and political science to other fields of knowledge, as varied as geography, history, anthropology, psychology, economics, law and others. With the growing interest in the field, there has been also an increasing need for methodological guidance for empirical research. This volume aims at addressing this need by introducing main methods of data collection and dataanalysis as they have been used in past research on social movements. The book emphasises a practical approach, presenting in each chapter specific discussions on the main steps ofresearch using a certain method; from research design to data collection and the use of information. In doing so, dilemmas and choices are presented, and illustrated within chapters following the same systemic approach.