"This collection of works by critical sociologists of various nationalities focuses on cutting-edge approaches to conflict-driven social change. By emphasizing the role played by contemporary social movements such as environmentalists, migrant organizations, world social forum activists and others, these studies grapple with diverse forms of organized resistance in the 21st century. From homeless peoples displaced by Hurricane Katrina to young Muslim women refusing to shun their veils in French schools, the logic of a new generation of protest is deciphered with an eye to learning from as well as informing new social forces demanding progressive change. The result is an affirmation of the continuing relevance of critical sociology in analyzing key socialcontradictions in the United States, Mexico, and beyond"--P. [4] of cover.