ABSTRACT
This chapter proposes a theoretical framework for the study of collective action in the field of unemployment politics. It provides a framework for analysis based on the idea that the form and content of political claim-making issues relating to unemployment are influenced by the prevailing conceptions of the welfare state. The chapter draws the literature on social movements and contentious politics, in particular the works that have stressed the impact of political opportunity structures on social protest. It looks at the literature on the comparative political economy of the welfare state, in particular the works that have emphasized variations in the dominant discourses and institutional practices. The chapter combines these two traditions in order to propose a theoretical framework for the study of the contentious politics of unemployment the public debates and collective mobilizations pertaining to unemployment. It deals with a political field such as unemployment, labour market regulations and policies, as they have impact on the unemployment political field.
