Violent Protest, Contentious Politics, and the Neoliberal State

Seraphim Seferiades, Panteion University, Greece and Hank Johnston, San Diego State University, USA

'A diverse, incisive set of essays all focused on a single theme: how collective violence arises from and impacts social change. We learn from each, but the lessons of the whole are much greater than the sum of its parts. The field of collective action moves up a large notch.' Bert Useem, Purdue University, USA 'This important new volume brings together an impressive array of scholars to tackle the thorny and neglected issue of social movements and violence. In topics ranging from turn of the century union violence against scabs, to modern day youth riots in Athens, from terrorist groups in Germany to revolutionary movements in Thailand and Iran, the authors explore the interplay of emotions, power and strategy. Most critically, they place violence firmly in its relational and situational context.' Cathy Lisa Schneider, American University, Washington, DC, USA

• Contents: Preface; Section I Theoretical Perspectives: The dynamics of violent protest: emotions, repression and disruptive deficit, Seraphim Seferiades and Hank Johnston; Protest movements and violence, Frances Fox Piven; The outcomes of political violence: ethical, theoretical, and methodological challenges, Lorenzo Bosi and Marco Guigni; Age cohorts, cognition, and collective violence, Hank Johnston. Section II Regional Perspectives: France, Germany, and United Kingdom: Political violence in Germany: trends and exploration of causes, Dieter Rucht; The 'unusual suspects': radical repertoires in consensual settings, Mario Diani; The riots: a dynamic view, Donatella della Porta and Bernard Gbikpi. Section III Comparative Perspectives: Protest and repression in democracies and autocracies: Europe, Iran, Thailand, and the Middle East 2010-2011, Jack A. Goldstone; Contemporary French and British urban riots: an exploration of the underlying political dimensions, David Waddington and Mike King; The volatility of urban riots, Marilena Simiti. Section IV The Greek December, 2008: The Greek December, 2008, Hank Johnston and Seraphim Seferiades; Along the pathways of rage: the space-time of an uprising, Loukia Kotronaki and Seraphim Seferiades; Radical minorities, a decade of contention and the Greek December 2008, Nikos Lountos; Bibliography; Index.