Freedom in Contention

Freedom in Contention is an important contribution, both to the study of social movements and to the field of political economy in general. Further, Novak chal­lenges us to re-think many common conceptions about counter-cultural social move­ments and their role in the long-run maintenance of a liberal social order.

* The Review of Austrian Economics *

This important book offers novel insights into social movements that inform public choice research related to institutional change, collective action problems, entangled politi­cal economy, and evasive entrepreneurship.

* Public Choice *

Truly interdisciplinary works are rare in the social sciences, despite common methods of inquiry and topics of interest. Freedom in Contention guides readers through an in-depth, interdisciplinary analysis of social movements using the theories of social movements and liberal political economy. Novak provides a detailed overview of sociological social movement theory and then considers what the primary schools of thought in liberal political economy might tell readers about social movements. From early collective behavior theories to more recent developments in social movement thought, Novak is thorough in her summary of social movement literature and similarly detailed with regard to liberal political economy. Without assuming that all social movements advance a liberal agenda or that social movements are entirely responsible for all liberal gains, Novak shows that the liberal project is routinely served and buttressed by social movement activity and that social movement actors engage with political and economic orders in various ways. This book is a great resource for students of social movements as well as researchers interested in advancing the interdisciplinary agenda and is a valuable contribution in the present moment of global social unrest. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals.

* Choice Reviews *

“In this pathbreaking book Mikayla Novak offers a comprehensive and novel analysis of social movements. Weaving together interdisciplinary concepts with wide-ranging illustrations, Freedom in Contention offers crucial insights into the role that social movements play in a self-governing society. Anyone interested in understanding liberal societies should read this book! “

-- Christopher J. Coyne

“Social movements are central characters in the history of liberal democracy. But as Mikayla Novak argues, they have a complicated relationship with liberal thought. Neither fully designed nor fully spontaneous, social movements occupy a liminal space that leaves them under-theorized. Novak explores the role that social movements play as an imperfect but vital discovery process. As she explains, social movements reveal what’s wrong with the current state of the world, hold the powerful to account, and help free societies realize, incrementally and in fits and starts, the promise of the liberal project.”

-- Emily Chamlee-Wright, President, Institute for Humane Studies

Freedom in Contention: Social Movements and Liberal Political Economy by Mikayla Novak is a timely and important book exploring how social change through the collective action of social movements occurs both within free and open societies struggling to fulfill the liberal promise, and the struggle of those trapped inside closed repressive regimes who yearn for freedom. Novak provides a great synthesis of ideas to provide a framework for understanding how groups fight and overcome injustice, and in doing so she has made a significant contribution to the literature in social theory

-- Peter Boettke, George Mason University

What role do social movements have in a liberal society? How do they bolster or undermine freedom? Freedom in Contention: Social Movements and Liberal Political Economy is an interesting and engaging answer to this question. Reviewing contemporary social movement theory, Novak has provided a thoughtful discussion that will be of enduring interest to scholars of social activism and classical liberalism.

-- Fabio Rojas, Indiana University

We live in an age of social and civil unrest. Strikes, marches, protests and riots are common fixtures in the news. Around the globe there is a growing intolerance for injustice. Applying the lens of mainline political economists like F. A. Hayek, James Buchanan and Elinor Ostrom, Novak offers unique insight into these events. This is a book worth reading at a time that demands our understanding.

-- Virgil Storr, George Mason Univer