David S. Meyer
I'm a professor of sociology and political science at the University of California, Irvine. I've been thinking, and writing about, protest politics for almost ever. This site offers comments on contemporary events, informed (I hope) by knowing something about history and about the academic study of social movements.
Monthly Archives: April 2011
Authenticity at the Town Hall Meetings?
Republican members of Congress who supported Paul Ryan’s budget plan (almost all of them) are having to defend their votes against hostile crowds at town meetings. (Note that there is a lot to get angry about in this budget plan. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged budget, FreedomWorks, health care, organization, protest, town hall, uninons
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Honoring Bill Gamson
I’m off to the University of Notre Dame this long weekend. Their Center for the Study of Social Movements will be honoring William A. Gamson with the John D. McCarthy Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Scholarship of Social Movements. … Continue reading
Posted in academic
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Are Lawyers Different?: Does the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) Deserve a Defense?
Several large gay rights organizations (e.g.) celebrated the decision of King & Spalding, a large law firm, to forgo work for the House of Representatives. When the Obama administration declined to defend the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act … Continue reading
Where’s the Peace Movement? (Protest is a blunt instrument)
It’s rare that social scientists studying protest get much attention from the mainstream press, opinion or otherwise. Although the scholars may get a whiff of excitement from the attention, they’re usually frustrated by the distortions and oversimplifications that seem inevitable–almost. … Continue reading
Reexamining Organization/s
From the comments, olderwoman writes: Your theoretical point is spot on, but your empirical point about Wisconsin is wrong, and wrong in a way that reflects back to a refinement of theory. Empirically, protests in Wisconsin were organized by a … Continue reading
Anger, Organization, and the Myth of Spontaneity
When protest explodes/emerges/erupts/ after a politician does–or threatens–something unappealing, we talk about the unrest as a response. So, we saw disruptions at town meetings across the country in 2009 about President Obama’s health care reforms, and we saw large demonstrations … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Frances Fox Piven, health care, organization, town meetings, unemployment, Wisconsin
1 Comment
Clustering Issues: Environmentalism and GLBT Politics
Politico’s Alex Guillen reported earlier this week that young environmentalists were consulting with gay and lesbian activists to figure out how to be more effective, especially in pushing President Obama. The GLBT movement has won–and is winning–several important victories, so … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged coalitions, don't ask don't tell, environmentalism, gay marriage, GLBT, policies
1 Comment
Passover Politics
We’re two days into Passover, a major Jewish holiday. The highlight is always two nights of services at the dinner table with families and friends, with varying shares of food, prayer, stories, and discussion. This service, the seder, varies tremendously … Continue reading
Coalitions and Linking Issues
Sunday’s New York Times features an interesting profile of John Tanton, a Michigan physician who has been crusading, effectively, for limited immigration and against reform for more than three decades. Jason DeParle reports that Tanton, a prodigious fundraiser and organizer, … Continue reading
Tax Day Protest
The cheerleaders during the American revolution led the crowds in chanting, “No Taxation without Representation.” At least the first part of that cheer has found a permanent place in American political discourse, as activists have found a way to label … Continue reading
