ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the implications of contemporary collective action in terms of possible strategies for change in the 1990s, including the achievements and the potential of social movements for bringing about democratization processes of importance. Research and theorizing on social movements have become central issues in the Latin American social sciences landscape. Analyses of Latin American social movements by North American scholars have been relatively neglectful of Latin American contributions along the lines of the "new social movements approach". The book contends that social movements research is prompting a renewal in social science activities in Latin America. The cycle of protest that started with the storm of popular uprisings in Santiago's streets in 1983 and reached its peak in 1986 with that year's nationwide strike is the subject of Schneider's contribution.
