"Social Movements in Global Politics" is a timely new account of the
unconventional, 'extra-institutional' activities of social movements. In the
face of impending global crises and stubborn conflicts, a conventional view of
politics risks leaving us confused and fatalistic, feeling powerless because we
are unaware of all that can be achieved by political means. By contrast, a
variety of recent social movements, ranging from those of women, gays and
lesbians and anti-racists, to environmentalists, the Occupy movement and the
Arab Spring, demonstrate the enormous potential of political action beyond the
institutional sphere of politics. At the same time, religious fundamentalists,
racial supremacists and ultra-nationalists make clear that movements