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.
Tag Archives: politics
Is Occupy one?
I mean: is Occupy now one year old? Is it still around? Is it unified? A year ago on September 17, the Occupation of Zuccotti Park began, with a beautiful poster and far less participation and promise than it soon … Continue reading
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Tagged 99 percent, democracy, elections, horizontal, influence, Occupy, Occupy Wall Street, organization, politics, tea party, Zuccotti Park
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More, Miley!
I didn’t think I’d be writing about Miley Cyrus again, but: Patricia Grim, identified as an “influential leader” in the Occupy movement, has endorsed Miley’s video, but challenged the singer to put her body on the front lines. According to … Continue reading
An Agenda for the Occupiers?
One of the gripes, cautions, criticisms of the emergence of a movement of Occupiers is the lack of a coherent agenda. (I’ve also made these points.) But take a look at We are the 99 percent http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/ and see if … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged agendas, demands, Occupiers, Occupy Wall Street, politics
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Divining Authority (Religious Endorsements)
Many many many Christians, readers have pointed out, are not worried about the Rapture tomorrow–despite the confident predictions of some committed co-religionists. While some of the faithful have quit jobs to prepare–and to alert others of the coming judgment, other … Continue reading
Celebrity politics: Eva Longoria and immigration
When Arizona adopted SB 1070, a bill that would mandate police investigation of people suspected of being in the country illegally, Eva Longoria announced the bill was unconstitutional. With MALDEF’s (Mexican American Legal Defense Fund) Executive Director Thomas A. Saenz, … Continue reading
A Recurrent DREAM (Social movement effects)
For the courageous young people who willingly disclosed their undocumented status last year, Congress’s failure to pass the DREAM Act was a devastating blow. They had an overly optimistic view, as activists often do, that the justice of their cause, … Continue reading
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Tagged business, Chamber of Commerce, coming out, Dream, movement outcomes, politics, tea party
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The Culture/Politics Thing (again)
I thought that I was done writing about either Bristol Palin or Dancing with the Stars. Dancing voters, however, sent her along to the show’s final round, at the expense of singer, Brandy, a somewhat older single mother. The decision … Continue reading
Is the (Tea) Party Over?
Mostly, yes. On election night, before any results come in, I feel confident in saying that the influence of the Tea Party as a mass movement peaked 6-8 weeks ago, with the end of the primary season. The Tea Party … Continue reading
