Publication

This paper discusses the main hypotheses developed in social science research with reference to the social basis for social movements. It distinguishes between hypotheses of social centrality, collective identity, social cleavages and class conflict and considers the relevance of these questions for research on contemporary protest for global justice. It further argues that the social bases of the "global" protest seem to reflect the range of social cleavages already mobilized and the dominant identification with the "left" of the political spectrum seems to testify to the re-emergence of conflicts based on social inequalities.