Routledge Handbook of Contemporary European Social Movements: Protest in Turbulent Times (Routledge International Handbooks)

European social movements have become increasingly visible in recent years, generating intense public debates. From anti-austerity and pro-democracy movements to right-wing nationalist movements, these movements expose core conflicts around European democracy, identity, politics and society. The Routledge Handbook of Contemporary European Social Movements offers a comprehensive interdisciplinary overview of the analysis of European social movements, helping to orient scholars and students navigating a rapidly evolving field while developing a new agenda for research in the area. The book is divided into eight sections: Visions of Europe; Contemporary models of democracy; Historical evolution of major European movements; Feminism and sexualities; Movement diffusion within and beyond Europe; Anti-austerity movements; Technopolitical and media movements; and Movements, parties and movement-parties. Key theories and empirical trajectories of core movements, their central issues, debates and impacts are covered, with a focus on how these have influenced and been influenced by their European context. Democracy, and how social movements understand it, renew it, or undermine it, forms a core thread that runs through the book. Written in a clear and direct style, the Handbook provides a key resource for students and scholars hoping to understand the key debates and innovations unfolding in the heart of European social movements and how these affect broader debates on such areas as democracy, human rights, the right to the city, feminism, neoliberalism, nationalism, migration and European values, identity and politics. Extensive references and sources will direct readers to areas of further study. Review "At a time when the very idea of Europe as a distinct political space comes under multiple challenges, exploring the grassroots political dynamics that are both contributing to the current uncertainty and prefiguring new arrangements is more and more urgent. Flesher Fominaya and Feenstra’s excellent collection will provide massive food for thought to all those who have at their heart the future of Europe as a democratic polity." - Prof. Mario Diani, Department of Sociology and Social Research, University of Trento, Italy "Contemporary Europe hosts a wide array of social movements that, due to their sheer number, diversity and complexity, cannot be overviewed by a single scholar. Accordingly, collaborative work is required of which this edited volume is an outstanding example. Both renowned older and promising young specialists on social movements and protest campaigns have contributed to this topical volume. It covers much ground and provides many insights into the evolution, structures and challenges of Europe’s social movements in these times that, as indicated in the book title, are indeed ‘turbulent’." - Prof. Dieter Rucht, Berlin Social Science Research Center (WZB), Germany About the Author Cristina Flesher Fominaya is Excellence 100 Reader in Social Politics and Media at Loughborough University and an internationally recognized expert in European social movement and politics. She holds an MA and a PhD in Sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a BA summa cum laude in International Relations from the University of Minnesota. She has been researching and participating in European social movements since the early 1990s, exploring the dynamics of digital media use, deliberative cultures and collective identity formation in autonomous movements. Flesher Fominaya has published and edited widely in the area of social movements, and has two books forthcoming: Social Movements in a Globalized World, 2nd ed. (Palgrave, 2019) and Democracy Reloaded: Inside Spain’s Political Laboratory from 15-M to Podemos (Oxford University Press, 2020). Ramón A. Feenstra is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy and Sociology at the Universitat Jaume I of Castellón (Spain). He graduated in