Revolutions, Sociology of
The modern concept of revolution comes out of one particular experience at the end of the eighteenth century, an experience that led some to hope for and others to fear similar occurrences. Reflections on the nature, causes, unfolding, and consequences of revolution were for a long time dominated by the French Revolution. As other cases came to preoccupy social scientists, particularly in the wake of the varied social upheavals of the late twentieth century, scholarly reflection on revolution flourished as it developed in new directions. These included greater attention to culture, more emphasis on contingency and agency, and incorporation of ideas from the study of social movements. In the early twenty-first century, new social movements were again getting scholars to rethink not just their approaches to the study of revolution, but to reconsider what forms revolutions might take.