chronological-narratives
Temporal frameworks that position modernity as a rupture from a traditional past, often used to justify progress and development in Eurocentric terms.
1 chapter across 1 book
Social Movements and World-System Transformation (2013)Jackie Smith, Michael Goodhart, Patrick Manning, John Markoff
This chapter critiques the dominant Eurocentric narratives of modernity that frame social movements as uniquely modern phenomena emerging in Europe and spreading globally through modernization. It argues for the necessity of a paradigm shift in social movement studies that incorporates the coloniality inherent in modernity, emphasizing the constitutive role of colonialism in shaping global power, knowledge, and social movements. The chapter also examines three critical traditions—contentious politics, new social movement theory, and world-systems theory—highlighting how each is structured by Eurocentric modernity discourses.