Table of Contents

Introduction: the practice of nonviolent action 1. Nonviolent action studies 2. The concept of nonviolence 3. The rationality of nonviolent action 4. Nonviolent 'dialogue facilitation' 5. Nonviolent 'power breaking' 6. Nonviolent 'utopian enactment' 7. Nonviolent 'normative regulation' 8. A theory of nonviolent action Appendix: the philosophy of Gandhi

Promotional Information

A ground-breaking book that provides for the first time in decades a major systematic attempt to develop a theory of nonviolent action.

About the Author

Stellan Vinthagen is associate professor of sociology and a scholar-activist. Vinthagen has a PhD in peace and development research from University of Gothenburg, Sweden. He research and lecture at Dep. of Social and Behavioural Studies, University West and School of Global Studies, University of Gothenburg; is a Council Member of War Resisters International, academic advisor to the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC), and co-founder of the Resistance Studies Network (www.resistancestudies.org). His research is focused on resistance, power, social movements, nonviolent action, conflict transformation and social change. He has written or edited five books and numerous articles. Vinthagen has travelled in five continents to study and work with social movements. He has since 1980 been an educator, organizer and activist, and has participated in more than 30 nonviolent civil disobedience actions, for which he has served in total more than one year in prison. He lives in the Eco-Village Krossekarr on the island Orust at the Swedish west coast.

Reviews

For anyone interested in nonviolence research, I’d recommend putting this at the top of your reading list...a classic.
*Waging Nonviolence*

This book is a profoundly relevant academic book. It is a rigorous, thoughtful and creative exploration of non-violent politics… unlike most academic work, it speaks to anyone interested in non-violent political action in contemporary society.
*Anna Leander, Centre for the Resolution of International Conflicts, Copenhagen University*

In this valuable and important contribution to the field Vinthagen advances a sociological perspective on non-violence to analyse the social practice of nonviolent actions. The unique combination of theory and practice will attract the attention of both scholars and activists.
*Annika Björkdahl, Lund University*

A pioneering contribution to the field. Using revealing examples of actions and campaigns, Vinthagen’s sophisticated and illuminating theoretical picture is tightly linked to practice. Activists and scholars alike have much to gain from this tour de force.
*Brian Martin, University of Wollongong*

This superb study of nonviolent action will become the key book in the field for this generation.
*Johan Galtung, Founder, Transcend International*

An essential book for every researcher, activist and human rights defender interested in the sociology of resistance and the opportunities and limitations of nonviolence as a method for human emancipation.
*Mattias Gardell, Uppsala University*

Building on traditions that see nonviolence as a strategy, a tactic or a way of life, Stellan Vintagen offers a new sociological theory of nonviolent action. Scholars and activists will gain both insight and inspiration from this book.
*Roland Bleiker, University of Queensland*

The richness of the detail may make it something of a Bible of nonviolent action... In this sense the book stands in Gandhi’s tradition of experimentation while demonstrating how the core elements of his thought and practice open new vistas for the future of nonviolence.
*Satyagraha Foundation for Nonviolence Studies*

Vinthagen’s new book is like a breath of fresh air, providing an original and diverse conceptual toolbox for activist scholars eager to revolutionize research on nonviolent action.
*Sean Taudin Chabot, Eastern Washington University*

The author combines the sociologist’s rigor and the historian’s overview with the activist’s practical experience, resulting in a convincing synthesis - the first of its kind, and a fundamental book in its field.
*Stefan Jonsson, Linköping University*