Violent Protest, Contentious Politics, and the Neoliberal State

This volume of cutting-edge research comparatively analyzes violent protest and rioting, furthering our understanding of this increasingly prevalent form of claim making. Hank Johnston and Seraphim Seferiades bring together internationally recognized experts in the field of protest studies and contentious politics to analyze the causes and trajectories of violence as a protest tactic. Crossnational comparisons from North America, Britain, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Thailand, and elsewhere contribute to the volume's theoretical elaboration, while several case studies add depth to the discussion. This title will be of key importance to scholars across the social sciences, including sociology, political science, geography and criminology. Johnston and Seferiades's exciting book is a significant contribution to the study of rioting and violent protest in the contemporary neoliberal state.

Seraphim Seferiades, Panteion University, Greece and Hank Johnston, San Diego State University, USA

Contents: Preface; Section I Theoretical Perspectives: The dynamics of violent protest: emotions, repression and disruptive deficit, Seraphim Seferiades and Hank Johnston; Protest movements and violence, Frances Fox Piven; The outcomes of political violence: ethical, theoretical, and methodological challenges, Lorenzo Bosi and Marco Guigni; Age cohorts, cognition, and collective violence, Hank Johnston. Section II Regional Perspectives: France, Germany, and United Kingdom: Political violence in Germany: trends and exploration of causes, Dieter Rucht; The 'unusual suspects': radical repertoires in consensual settings, Mario Diani; The riots: a dynamic view, Donatella della Porta and Bernard Gbikpi. Section III Comparative Perspectives: Protest and repression in democracies and autocracies: Europe, Iran, Thailand, and the Middle East 2010-2011, Jack A. Goldstone; Contemporary French and British urban riots: an exploration of the underlying political dimensions, David Waddington and Mike King; The volatility of urban riots, Marilena Simiti. Section IV The Greek December, 2008: The Greek December, 2008, Hank Johnston and Seraphim Seferiades; Along the pathways of rage: the space-time of an uprising, Loukia Kotronaki and Seraphim Seferiades; Radical minorities, a decade of contention and the Greek December 2008, Nikos Lountos; Bibliography; Index.