Very Short Introductions: Brilliant, Sharp, InspiringFrom mass demonstrations that bring cities to a standstill to individual acts of resistance, political protest seems ubiquitous in contemporary societies with thousands of protests taking place across the world every year. Such protests bear on a variety of issues, ranging from targeted demands for legislative changes in a given policy domain to structural policy reforms to broader issues pertaining to freedom, democracy, and human rights. This Very Short Introduction focuses on protest across the world in modern times. What is protest? Has protest transformed over time, and if so, how? Are those people who protest special in some way? Do they differ from those who do not protest and, if so, how? The book outlines key concepts and theories that academics have employed to answer these questions, while giving readers a sense of the landscape of discussion about protest within sociology and political science more broadly. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.