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Journal ArticleDOI

Islamism and Social Movement Theory

Asef Bayat
- 01 Sep 2005 - 
- Vol. 26, Iss: 6, pp 891-908
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TLDR
In this paper, the authors argue for a more fluid and fragmented understanding of social movements, which may better explain the differentiated and changing disposition of such movements as Islamism, and propose the concept of "imagined solidarities" which might help illustrate modes of solidarity building in such closed political settings as the contemporary Muslim Middle East.
Abstract
There is a new, but still limited, realisation that the perspectives developed by the ‘social movement theory’ can be useful to illuminate aspects of Islamist movements. This is a welcome development. Yet it is also pertinent to point to some limitations of the prevailing social movement theories (those grounded in the technologically advanced and politically open societies) to account for the complexities of sociopolitical activism in contemporary Muslim societies, which are often characterised by political control and limited means for communicative action. The article argues for a more fluid and fragmented understanding of social movements, which may better explain the differentiated and changing disposition of such movements as Islamism. In this context, I propose the concept of ‘imagined solidarities’, which might help illustrate modes of solidarity building in such closed political settings as the contemporary Muslim Middle East.

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Citations
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References
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Book

The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life

TL;DR: For instance, in the case of an individual in the presence of others, it can be seen as a form of involuntary expressive behavior as discussed by the authors, where the individual will have to act so that he intentionally or unintentionally expresses himself, and the others will in turn have to be impressed in some way by him.
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Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste

TL;DR: In this article, a social critic of the judgement of taste is presented, and a "vulgar" critic of 'pure' criticiques is proposed to counter this critique.
Journal ArticleDOI

Outline of a Theory of Practice

TL;DR: Bourdieu as mentioned in this paper develops a theory of practice which is simultaneously a critique of the methods and postures of social science and a general account of how human action should be understood.
Journal ArticleDOI

Outline of a Theory of Practice.

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The Practice of Everyday Life

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present a very different view of the arts of practice in a very diverse culture, focusing on the use of ordinary language and making do in the art of practice.
Trending Questions (1)
How is social movement theory applied in christianity?

The text does not provide information on how social movement theory is applied in Christianity.