Social movements are not only a potential challenge to societies, they also challenge social theory. This volume looks at social movements and social movement research through the lens of different social theories. What can social movement studies learn from these theories? And: What can these theories learn from the analysis of social movements? From this double vantage point, the book discusses the theories of Michel Foucault, Pierre Bourdieu, Niklas Luhmann, Jeffrey Alexander, and Judith Butler, as well as rational choice theory, relational sociology, and organizational neo-institutionalism. Contents Paths of Innovation in Social Movement Research Theory Discourse, Power and Governmentality Social Movements and the Rationality of Choice Bourdieu Meets Social Movements Social Movements and Sociological Systems Theory Inequality, Inclusion, and Protest Social Movements and Neo-Institutionalism Judith Butler and the Politics of Protest Networks, Interaction, and Conflict Audience The book is addressed to students, scholars and researchers in the field of social movement studies as well as those interested in social theory, social change, and the role of social movements in society. Editors Dr. Jochen Roose is Professor for Social Sciences at the Willy Brandt Zentrum of the University Wrocław, Poland. Dr. Hella Dietz works at the Institute for Sociology at the Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany.