How to Explain a Social Movement

by Jeff Goodwin

How to Explain a Social Movement brings together essays written by Jeff Goodwin over the past twenty years, including several award-winning papers and a number of provocative new essays that reflect on the field of social-movement studies. The collected essays draw on a wide range of empirical cases to illustrate the author's theoretical claims. Among these are the Iranian and Nicaraguan revolutions, the Communist-led Huk rebellion in the Philippines, the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa and the gay and lesbian movement in the US. This book will interest and challenge students, teachers activists and general readers who want to learn more about social movements, revolutions and terrorism in the contemporary age.

304 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2025

About the author

Jeffrey Roger Goodwin is a professor of sociology at New York University. He holds a BA, MA and PhD from Harvard University. His research interests include social movements, revolutions, political violence, and terrorism.