Debates over social movements have suffered from a predominate focus on North America and western Europe, often neglecting the significance of collective action in the global South. Citizenship and Social Movements seeks to partially redress this imbalance with case studies from Brazil, India, Bangladesh, Mexico, South Africa and Nigeria.

This volume points to the complex relationships that influence mobilization and social movements in the South, suggesting that previous theories have underplayed the influence of state power and elite dominance in the government and in NGOs.

As the contributors to this book clearly show, understanding the role of the state in relation to social movements is critical to determining when collective action can fulfil the promise of bringing the rights of the marginalized to the fore.

Lisa Thompson is Director of the African Citizenship and Democracy (ACCEDE) and Professor at the School of Government, University of the Western Cape. Her work focuses on issues of socio-economic development in the context of the global political economy. She has published widely on research pertaining to regional development and democratisation processes in southern Africa. She serves as South African coordinator of the Development Research Centre on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability.

Chris Tapscott is Professor and Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at the University of the Western Cape in South Africa and was formerly the founding director of the School of Government in the same institution. He has been an active member of the Development Research Centre on Citizenship, Participation and Accountability.