Caring Movements and Care in Movements

This chapter lays the theoretical foundation of the book, analyzing how different types of grievances affect solidarity and mobilization. It distinguishes between mobilizing grievances, which facilitate collective action, and immobilizing grievances, which hinder participation by overwhelming individuals. The chapter critiques traditional theories that assume grievances naturally lead to mobilization, highlighting how emotional, structural, and biographical factors often render individuals unavailable for contentious action. It theorizes the role of external solidarity in initiating mobilization through the efforts of non-beneficiary early risers and examines how care work empowers those immobilized by their grievances. By unpacking these dynamics, the chapter offers a framework for understanding the interplay between non-beneficiary early risers and immobilized beneficiary constituents, as well as how external solidarity may propel the empowerment of those overwhelmed by their grievances.