Social movement learning: A contemporary re-examination

Abstract

This introduction explores social movement learning (SML), arguing for its timely re-examination amidst a global surge in public disquiet and organized citizen action—from the Arab Spring to student mobilizations across the UK and Chile. Drawing on Richard Tawney's foundational insight that education must not be severed from its "social interests," the authors position the contemporary study of SML as a vital contribution to understanding progressive change. The introduction highlights the renewed academic interest in social movements since the 1980s, noting the shift from earlier literature to current scholarship that is more sensitive to issues of knowledge production, power dynamics, and local context. It emphasizes that SML is not just about the transfer of skills but the complex, contradictory processes of learning that occur in struggle. It also introduces diverse articles, which explores themes ranging from the role of film activism in food knowledge to the organization and learning outcomes of student protests, underscoring the urgent need to inform and strengthen the practice of movements seeking systemic change.