Social movement theory: A dead end

Abstract

In arguing that the development of a rhetorical theory for social movements is a lost cause, the authors examine two major questions: (1) how are movements different from other forms of collective behavior, and (2) do these differences create rhetorical differences? An analysis of the loading works in rhetoric on social movements leads to the conclusion that movements are not inherently different from other forms of collective behavior in their rhetorical activities, thus there is no need for a theory of the rhetoric of social movements.