Revising Social Movement Theories to the Realities of Non-Violent Resistance for Human Rights and Democracy in Authoritarian Regimes: The Cases of Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Kenya
Posted: 22 Mar 2013
Date Written: 2013
Abstract
In examining non-violent resistance for human rights and democracy in authoritarian regimes in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Kenya, through more than 150 interviews by the author and archival research, I found it necessary to revise some of the standard social movement theories to make sense of what happened. For example, in Liberia, the repression under Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor prevented any sustained resistance, one of the hallmarks of most social movements in the West. But significant resistance took place against Doe and Taylor. In Sierra Leone, despite lack of exogenous opportunities commonly associated with social movements in the developed countries, and in Kenya where activists generally lacked the kind of material resources described as essential in social movements in democracies, significant non-violent resistance took place. The study argues that social movement theories in such cases need to be revised to fit the realities on the ground. It also argues for the importance of widening the focus in social movement analysis beyond organizations to include individual activists and those operating with little or no organizational support. This revision helps detect a much wider cast of activists than is normally noted.
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