Social Movements: Conceptual and Theoretical Perspectives

A social movement is a collective effort in which diverse actors work together to challenge or change an existing social order. According to sociologist Mario Diani, social movements are characterised by dense informal networks, shared beliefs and collective identity, and sustained collective action on conflictual issues. This paper reviews Diani’s concept of social movement alongside those of other scholars. It discusses social movements from the perspectives of collective behaviour, resource mobilisation, the political process, the environmental movement, and new social movement theory.