About the Webinar

We are continually surprised that waves of collective protest take us by surprise. In 2020, the killing of one man in Minnesota mobilized half a million Americans to take to the streets on a single day. How have sociologists of social movements explained these upsurges of protest? What regularities can be discerned across different movements and varied political contexts? How does these regularities illuminate the social mechanisms underlying protest? My talk will draw on various historical episodes, from riots in the early 19th century to the protests following the death of George Floyd.

About the Speaker

Professor Michael Biggs is Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Oxford and Fellow of St Cross. His research on social movements addresses two different themes: the volatility of protest waves and self-inflicted suffering as protest. He has published in American Journal of Sociology, American Sociological Review, British Journal of Sociology, Social Forces, European Sociological Review, Politics and Society, and Mobilization.