Social movement studies and analysis of political violence: Hhe case of Hamas

A survey of the existing literature on political violence reveals that there is no single paradigmatic approach and method with which to study collective forms of political violence. Scholars usually focus on one type of political violence, developing a case-specific approach, which is not adequate to the task of providing a comprehensive framework with which to analyze different forms of collective political violence. This study points to the need for a new framework which overcomes the shortcomings and limitations of the existing literature. It argues that social movement theory (including both Resource Mobilization approach and New Social Movements theory) can contribute to the development of such a comprehensive approach by providing the base for another way of understanding and interpreting collective political violence as it offers the necessary conceptual and methodological tools such as political opportunity structures, framing processes, resource mobilization, organizational mobilization strategies, movement participation and processes of identity construction. It is, thus, necessary to combine the theoretical insights of social movement theory and the literature on political violence to better analyze collective political violence in different contexts at different times. In this study, these arguments are presented through a case study of Hamas, a complex organization, which is often inadequately analyzed within the existing literature on collective political violence. Keywords: Collective political violence, social movement studies, critical terrorism studies, radicalization, Hamas