A Theory of Nonviolent Action: How Civil Resistance WorksIn this ground-breaking and much-needed book, Stellan Vinthagen provides the first major systematic attempt to develop a theory of nonviolent action since Gene Sharp's seminal The Politics of Nonviolent Action in 1973. Employing a rich collection of historical and contemporary social movements from various parts of the world as examples - from the civil rights movement in America to anti-Apartheid protestors in South Africa to Gandhi and his followers in India - and addressing core theoretical issues concerning nonviolent action in an innovative, penetrating way, Vinthagen argues for a repertoire of nonviolence that combines resistance and construction. Contrary to earlier research, this repertoire - consisting of dialogue facilitation, normative regulation, power breaking and utopian enactment - is shown to be both multidimensional and contradictory, creating difficult contradictions within nonviolence, while simultaneously providing its creative and transformative force. An important contribution in the field, A Theory of Nonviolent Action is essential for anyone involved with nonviolent action who wants to think about what they are doing. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 24 | |
The Concept of Nonviolence | 61 |
The Rationality of Nonviolent Action | 82 |
Nonviolent Dialogue Facilitation | 132 |
Nonviolent Power Breaking | 165 |
Nonviolent Utopian Enactment | 206 |
Nonviolent Normative Regulation | 255 |
Other editions - View all
A Theory of Nonviolent Action: How Civil Resistance Works Stellan Vinthagen No preview available - 2015 |
A Theory of Nonviolent Action: How Civil Resistance Works Stellan Vinthagen No preview available - 2015 |
Common terms and phrases
action repertoire action types activity actors agreement ahimsa alternative Arne Nęss becomes behaviour Bourdieu campaign Chapter characterised civil disobedience Civil Rights Movement claims combination communicative rationality conflict consensus constructive programme context cooperation create culture decision developed dialogue facilitation discourse dominant drama effective enemy images example existing expressed Foucault Gandhi Gandhian Gene Sharp goal groups Habermas habitus human ideal ideal speech situation Indian individual Innerdalen interaction interpretation liberation means ment methods mobilisation moral movement’s Mutlangen mutual truth Nęss non-cooperation nonviolence training nonviolent action nonviolent activists nonviolent community nonviolent construction nonviolent movements nonviolent resistance nonviolent society nonviolent struggle normative regulation nuclear obedience one’s opponent organised participants peace person perspective political possible power breaking power relations practical realise reason relationships risk role satyagraha Sharp sit-ins situation Social Movements socialisation strategy structures subordination suffering symbolic theory tion transformation understanding utopian enactment Vinthagen violence and oppression