The Contemporary US Peace Movement New Approaches in Sociology Series

As peace activists have faced increased government repression and accusations of being unpatriotic since 9/11, Toussaint examines how current attempts to control dissent impact the peace movement. This study offers an analysis of self-identified peace activists in terms of their demographic characteristics, motivation for activism, political opportunities, and views of the peace movement. It also discusses the processes involved in successfully mobilizing an increasingly diverse constituency and how broad-based support can be sustained beyond reacting to crises.

1. Introduction 2. Methodology and Demographic Data 3. Participation, Identity, and Social Networks in the Peace Movement 4. The Peace Movement and the Political Opportunity Structure 5. Peace Movement Issues, Diversity, and Mobilization 6. Challenges, Opportunities, and Future Prospects for the Peace Movement 7. Conclusions

Laura Toussaint received her Ph.D. from the Department of Sociology at American University. She serves on the Editorial Board of Societies Without Borders, the academic journal of Sociologists Without Borders.