Why do revolutions start

Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content. Find in Worldcat. Go to page:. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. Search within book. Subscriber sign in You could not be signed in, please check and try again.

Username Please enter your Username. Password Please enter your Password. Forgot password? You could not be signed in, please check and try again. However, such methods have not been very successful in predicting revolutions. Eric Selbin, a political science professor and University Scholar at Southwestern University who studies revolutions, believes social scientists have been overlooking a key indicator: the power of cultural factors such as storytelling and the use of symbolism.

The book is based on more than 20 years of research in countries such as Nicaragua, Grenada, Mexico, Spain and France. In doing his research, Selbin says he was struck by how many times people told him stories. Selbin says stories allow us to imagine the transformation of our lives and our world.

Selbin says this helps explain why revolutions have not occurred in places where the economy is bad, such as Haiti, Honduras and Somalia. Selbin notes that stories also can help sustain people during the challenging times of a revolution. Since its publication in January , Selbin says the book has gained an audience much larger than he ever expected. The book has already been published in German, and translations into Arabic, Spanish and Turkish are in the works.

Selbin says his theory is not meant to replace traditional social science methods, but rather to supplement them. Selbin says student researchers can be some of the best story-gatherers because they often go abroad and come back with stories. The Internet also has made it easier to gather stories. Selbin says he hopes his book will change how people teach about revolutions. Password Please enter your Password.

Forgot password? Don't have an account? Sign in via your Institution. You could not be signed in, please check and try again. Sign in with your library card Please enter your library card number. What is a revolution? What causes revolutions? Revolutionary processes, leaders, and outcomes 4. Revolutions in the ancient world 5.

Revolutions of the Renaissance and Reformation 6. Communist revolutions: Russia, China, and Cuba 8. Revolutions against dictators: Mexico, Nicaragua, and Iran 9.