The term new social movements (NSM) refers to a plethora of social movements that have come up in various western societies roughly since the mid-1960s (i.e. in a post-industrial economy) which depart significantly from the conventional social movement paradigm. New social movement theory looks at various collective actions, their identity and on their relations to culture, ideology and politics.[Kendall 2005]. Buechler argues that there is in fact no single new social movement theory, but a set of new social movement theories, each a variant on general approach to "something called new social movement", which he cautiously defines as a "diverse array of collective actions that has presumably displaced the old social movement of proletarian revolution".[Buechler 1999] American Civil Rights Movement is one of the most famous social movements of the 20th century. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from 1960 to 1969, inclusive. ... A post-industrial society is a proposed name for an economy that has undergone a specific series of changes in structure after a process of industrialization. ... Sociological paradigm (also sociological perespectives or frameworks) are specific points of view used by social scientists in social research. ... The economic theory of collective action is concerned with the provision of public goods (and other collective consumption) through the collaboration of two or more individuals, and the impact of externalities on group behavior. ... Cultural identity is the (feeling of) identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as she/he is influenced by her/his belonging to a group or culture. ... The word culture, from the Latin colo, -ere, with its root meaning to cultivate, generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance. ... An ideology is an organized collection of ideas. ... Politics is a process by which decisions are made within groups. ... The proletariat (from Latin proles, offspring) is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is called a proletarian. ...

These movements differ from traditional social movements that had previously been seen, following Marxist paradigm, as centered on economic concerns, such as the labor movement.[Buechler 1999] The new social movements include the women's movement, the ecology movement and various peace movements, among others. Thinkers have related these movements with the postmaterialism hypothesis as put forth by Ronald Inglehart. Important contributors in the field include sociologists such as Alain Touraine, Claus Offe, and Jürgen Habermas. Many of these NSMs tend to emphasize social changes in lifestyle and culture, rather than pushing for specific changes in public policy or for economic change. Some NSM theorists argue that the key actors in these movements are members of the "new middle class", or service-sector professionals (such as academics). Marxism is the political practice and social theory based on the works of Karl Marx, a 19th century philosopher, economist, journalist, and revolutionary, along with Friedrich Engels. ... Buyers bargain for good prices while sellers put forth their best front in Chichicastenango Market, Guatemala. ... The labor movement (or labour movement) is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better treatment from their employers and political governments. ... Suffrage parade in New York City on May 6, 1912 The Feminist movement (also known as the Womens Movement and Womens Liberation) campaigns on issues such as reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, sexual harassment, discrimination and sexual violence. ... The global ecology movement is one of several new social movements that emerged at the end of the sixties; as a values-driven social movement, it should be distinguished from the pre-existing science of ecology. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Postmaterialism is an economic philosophy that emphasizes quality of life and environmental sustainability issues instead of earning income and material possessions. ... Political scientist, University of Michigan. ... Sociology is the study of the social lives of humans, groups and societies. ... Alain Touraine (1925- ) is a French sociologist born in Hermanville-sur-Mer. ... Claus Offe 1940, Berlin Dr. rer. ... Jürgen Habermas Jürgen Habermas (born June 18, 1929 in Düsseldorf) is a German philosopher, political scientist and sociologist in the tradition of critical theory, best known for his concept of the public sphere. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The middle class (or middle classes) comprises a social group once defined by exception as an intermediate social class between the nobility and the peasantry. ...

Unlike pressure groups that have a formal organisation and 'members', NSMs consist of an informal, loosely organised social network of 'supporters' rather than members. Paul Byrne ('97) described New Social Movements as 'relatively disorganised'^{[citation needed]}. Protest groups tend to be single issue based and are often local in terms of the scope of change they wish to effect. In contrast, NSMs last longer than single issue campaigns and wish to see change on an (inter)national level on various issues in relation to their set of beliefs and ideals. A NSM may, however adopt the tactic of a protest campaign as part of its strategy for achieving wider-ranging change. A social network is a social structure made of nodes which are generally individuals or organizations. ...

Some sociologists, like Paul Bagguley and Nelson Pichardo, criticize NSM theory for a number of reasons, including 1) these movements existed (in one extent or another) during the industrial period and traditional movements still exist today, 2) there is a lack of empirical evidence showing the differences between these movements, 3) NSM focuses almost exclusively on left-wing movements and does not consider right-wing, 4) the term "new middle class" is amorphous and not consistently defined, and 5) might be better viewed as a certain instance of social movement theory rather than a brand new one. Empirical research is any activity that uses direct or indirect observation as its test of reality. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ...

References

• Steven M. Buechler, Social Movements in Advanced Capitalism, Oxford University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-19-512604-1, Google Print, p.46
• Diana Kendall, Sociology In Our Times, Thomson Wadsworth, 2005, ISBN 0-534-64629-8 Google Print, p.533