Page 493 - The ISA Handbook in Contemporary Sociology

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464 THE ISA HANDBOOK IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIOLOGY

ensure cooperation may lead to situations of movements from different points of view.
structured conflict (ethno-linguistic diversity The rise of grass roots movements of differ-
in Canada/Québec). ent kinds in Brazil is described in some detail
Shared themes emerge in a different way by Gohn, while it is seen by Reis as a process
among several groups of chapters. In sketch- of solidarity that marks far-reaching changes
ing the topics of the various chapters, we in the warp and weave of society as well as in
have seen that conflict, competition and the evolution of how people think, with the
cooperation are processes that can be dis- latter being a dimension which Armony ana-
cerned at every level of social contact. With lyzes from a different point of view. But
regard to macro-phenomena depicted in social movements are not restricted to Latin
the collection, conflict, competition and America and there is also the issue of the
cooperation are shown to govern events boundary between individual acts of resist-
related to globalization and international ance and collective action, which Silvestro
peace-keeping arrangements, to food sys- addresses. The kinds of dynamics that the
tems, to demographic trends, to the model- contributors to this volume have examined
ling of digital futures, as well as to the are of interest to many researchers who are
management of economic affairs (including looking into how the pressures of globaliza-
labour relations) and governance on a global tion are being countered (McFarland, 2007;
or a national level. They are palpable on the Polletta and Jasper, 2001). Yet, despite the
meso or intermediate level as shown in the enthusiasm with which the spread of grass
work on crime in rural communities, on roots movements for political ends is met, a
sport, on the arts, and in the analyses of sober theoretical view also inspires new
social movements and of NGOs in Brazil. sociological questions. Could it be that with
But they also come to the fore in the exami- this activism the seeds of renewed, perhaps
nation at the micro-level of how individual more effective, repression are being sown –
consumer behaviour is to be understood, how Webster and Lambert suggest as much, and,
adults and children meet and influence one in a different way, so does Schulz. And if so,
another, even how people think about their how can such consequences be prevented?
own actions, how they address one another, A second commanding theme is that of
how they feel socially connected – or alien- stratification. Although only one chapter in
ated, and how research is done and how it can the Handbook (by Moulin and Bernard) has a
be done in small groups. term – ‘social mobility’ – explicitly related to
Among the materials of the collection, ‘stratification’ in its title, the chapters that
where researchers from different continents deal with health, health care, demography,
have related to the issues that are of the high- digital futures, hunger and plenty, labour stud-
est importance for them in their work as soci- ies, and the market, not to mention the prob-
ologists, it has also been possible to bring to lems of language and ethnicity in Canada/
light issues which are central to the sociolog- Québec, and the politics of belonging, all
ical enterprise across the globe. The issue of cogently address issues of how populations
dialectical processes is central, as the chapter are divided into strata by different principles
on alienation underlines. The sweep of glob- of distribution. While specific outcomes can
alization is inevitably encountering the seeds be traced in each domain, they combine to
of resistance and their success can be fol- indicate the dimensions of stratification and
lowed in the evolution of social movements the varied hierarchical arrangements that
which present a new form of political enforce the divisions and shape identities for
activism. In this Handbook, researchers who the identification of strata. Concretely, they
have investigated grass roots organizations point to how the demands made on and by diff-
that express discontent in Latin America, erent groups are multi-dimensional and liable
base their work on descriptions of social to create clashes of interest. From the point