Social Movements in Britain

Over the last thirty years across Europe and America, more and more people have been turning their backs on mainstream politics and parties and are pursuing more unconventional ways of making themselves heard. Recent research suggests that as many people in Britain are active in protest or similar movements as in the conventional political parties. Social Scientists have revived the idea of ‘Social Movements’ to explain this. Paul Byrne’s accessible and engaging study explores the theories surrounding these new movements of the 1980s and 90s. He begins by summarizing these theories and describing how such movements as Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the Women’s Movement and the Green Party have developed in Britain.