Abstract
Social activism is by definition collaborative and aimed at advocating and achieving particular goals, creating and exploiting social conflict, and transgressing social norms and regulations. Various technologies of communication are vital in moving activists towards these goals, particularly by enabling them to build up networks and link them effectively together. In this book, Joshua Atkinson presents qualitative research methods for the investigation of social activism protest and social movements. The value of this lies precisely in the lack of discussion and reflection on the use of qualitative methods in the study of social activism. In the two sections of the book, Atkinson deals, first, with the philopshical basis of activist research, as well as with research methodologies and qualitative methods, while, second, he outlines and assesses approaches to the study of social activism built around four different research sites: organisations, networks, events and alternative media. This should prove a useful book in developing and refining research into activist groups and movements, along with their aims and motivations, tactices and targets.