ABSTRACT
The previous two chapters have shown that there is a dearth of clear and informative hypotheses about the origin and effects of collective identities and framing processes. One possibility to generate such hypotheses is to apply a general theory (see chapter 1). This is the strategy employed in this chapter. We apply balance theory (BT) in order to suggest some propositions about collective identity and framing. The goal of this chapter is to show that BT can be fruitfully applied to generate new hypotheses about social movement phenomena. In particular, BT can be applied to address questions that are asked but not answered in an adequate way in the framing and identity perspectives. The chapter is not intended to provide a full exploration of the possibilities to apply BT to the social movement field. We will confine ourselves to a few topics hoping that other scholars continue our efforts.
