Inequality and Social Movements

Social movements as agents of change are very often oriented towards inequality in spite of the fact that they vary in terms of the kind and level of change they pursue. In this chapter, first the literature on the relationship between social movements and inequality will be reviewed. It will then be demonstrated that one of the best ways to understand the social movement/inequality nexus is by focusing on social movements’ politicisation of inequality as a strategy for social change. The chapter focuses on three different positive manifestations of the politicisation of inequalities by social movements. First, it will be shown how this politicisation facilitates the formation of alliances between various groups; second, it will be demonstrated how it leads to change in the dominant discourse or frame on inequality; and third it will be shown how the politicisation of inequalities by social movements can influence state/formal politics around the problem of inequality more generally.