
Contentious Minds
How Talk and Ties Sustain Activism
Oxford University Press Inc
Published on 22. April 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
360 pages
978-0-19-007802-7 (ISBN)
Description
This is an open access title available under the terms of a CC BY NC ND 4.0 International license. It is free to read at Oxford Scholarship Online and offered as a free PDF download from OUP and selected open access locations.
Why does the mind matter for collective action? In Contentious Minds, Florence Passy and Gian-Andrea Monsch explain how cognitive and relational processes allow activists participate in and sustain their commitment to activism. Based on a wide array of survey and interview data with activists engaged in protest, volunteering and unions, they highlight how a commitment community develop shared values, identities, and meanings through interaction. The interplay of talk and ties enables stories and meanings to be constructed and exchanged, conveys worldviews and intentions that are modified through ongoing conversations, and reinforces and maintains commitment over time. Passy and Monsch's ambitious work brings the mind and culture back into the study of social movements and highlights the crucial role social networks play in constructing the communities and shared values that sustain commitment.
Why does the mind matter for collective action? In Contentious Minds, Florence Passy and Gian-Andrea Monsch explain how cognitive and relational processes allow activists participate in and sustain their commitment to activism. Based on a wide array of survey and interview data with activists engaged in protest, volunteering and unions, they highlight how a commitment community develop shared values, identities, and meanings through interaction. The interplay of talk and ties enables stories and meanings to be constructed and exchanged, conveys worldviews and intentions that are modified through ongoing conversations, and reinforces and maintains commitment over time. Passy and Monsch's ambitious work brings the mind and culture back into the study of social movements and highlights the crucial role social networks play in constructing the communities and shared values that sustain commitment.
Reviews / Votes
Contentious Minds is both admirable in its approach and ambitious in scope overall ... Passy and Monsch argue quite passionately and convincingly for additional exploration into the mind of the activist. * David Zeller, American Journal of Sociology * This text is essential for understanding how talk and social network ties work to sustain activism. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. * P. Seybold, Indiana University, CHOICE *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
New York
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
25 b&w line drawings
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
550 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-007802-7 (9780190078027)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Book
04/2020
Oxford University Press Inc
€165.80
Shipment within 15-20 days

E-Book
02/2020
OUP eBook
€18.99
Available for download

E-Book
02/2020
OUP eBook
€0.00
Available for download
Persons
Florence Passy is Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Gian-Andrea Monsch is a Senior Researcher at FORS, the Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences based at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Gian-Andrea Monsch is a Senior Researcher at FORS, the Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences based at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Author
Professor of Political ScienceProfessor of Political Science, University of Lausanne
Postdoctoral ResearcherPostdoctoral Researcher, Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences, University of Lausanne
Content
- Acknowledgements
- Chapter 1: Contentious Minds in Action
- Chapter 2: A Cognitive-Relational Process
- Chapter 3: Synchronized Minds
- Chapter 4: Common Good and Intentionality
- Chapter 5: Politics and Intentionality
- Chapter 6: Networks as "Islands of Meanings"
- Chapter 7: Culture in Mind
- Appendix
- References
- Index