Protest Politics in Germany: Movements on the Left and Right Since the 1960s

摘要

The West German political system witnessed few unconventional forms of political participation in its early years, yet from the late 1960s a variety of conflicts resulted in protest movements which have subsequently changed the face of democracy in Germany. However, why did some protests develop when they did? Why did others remain smaller in size? What influenced the type of protest that was adopted in each conflict? These are some of the questions addressed in Roger Karapin's analysis of German protest politics since the 1960s-a study which examines the West German tradition of protest, as well as instances of protest after unification in the early 1990s. Rather than presenting a historical or socio-political study of German protest movements, Karapin's monograph is a focused one which sets out to explain the dynamics of protest politics, providing evidence to support process theories over structural theories. Karapin's main argument thus holds that 'protest movements are shaped more by political interactions than by social structures, socioeconomic change or political institutions' (p. 7).