Becoming a Movement: Identity, Narrative and Memory in the European Global Justice Movement [Paperback]

Social movement scholars have become increasingly interested in the role of stories in contentious politics. Stories may facilitate the mobilization of activists and strengthen the resonance of their claims within public discourse and institutional politics. This open access book explores the role of narratives in building collective identity  a vital element in activists' continued commitment. While often claimed important, the connection between narratives and movement identity remains understudied. Drawing on a rich pool of original data, the book's analysis focusses on the Global Justice Movement (GJM), a movement known for its diversity of political perspectives. Based on a comparison of different national constellations of the GJM in Europe, the book demonstrates the centrality of activists' narratives in forming and maintaining movement identity and in making the GJM more enduring.

The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com. Open access was funded by Goethe University Frankfurt am Main

In this deeply researched and compellingly theorized book, Priska Daphi shows that becoming part of a movement is learning to tell the movements story. Daphi demonstrates how the Global Justice Movement was able to forge solidarity across strikingly different national contexts by recounting the movements own history. Synthesizing theories of collective identity, narrative and group memory, Becoming a Movement contributes powerfully to our understanding of the cultural dimensions of mobilization. Francesca Polletta, Professor of Sociology, University of California, Irvine

Priska Daphi shows how narratives help define activists realities. Her engaging book offers a deep understanding of identity construction by comparing movement stories in several national contexts. This thoughtful analylÓ7