Introduction: Turning Points

Abstract

Crises abound and solutions remain scarce as we begin to make our way through the 21st century. As a result, are social movements making a comeback? In the past several years, citizens around the world watched the protestors of the Arab Spring on one continent, Occupy Wall Street and the 99 percenters on another, and Ukraine on a third; each began as a social protest whose leaders and activists hoped would become a successful social movement. Instead, each has demonstrated the limits of political and economic power and underscored the rapidity with which threat, physical domination, and violence can appear as a response. Underlying all of this has been a worldwide economic downturn featuring increasing inequality and injustice fueling ever-growing anger among citizens of all nations who feel betrayed by both international banking systems and their own national governments. Thus, the intractability and violence of poverty has expanded everyone’s insecurity has increased, and the possibilities for social justice have diminished.