Social movements have shown themselves to be one of the most dramatic and effective forms of political action. America, founded as the result of a challenge to one kind of political order, has been, in part, recreated as a result of movements of collective protest. Social movements continue to arise in America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the present age, when such social movements abound, it is crucial to investigate the theoretical similarities and underpinnings of older and current collective protests. With chapters on AIDS, the Iranian revolution, the New Left, environmentalism, and many other subjects, as well as essays delineating classical and contemporary theories, Social Movements provides a well-rounded and provocative perspective on this most compelling form of political expression.