Understanding Activist Fundamentalism: Capitalist Crisis and the “Colonization of the Lifeworld”

The development of a politically active fundamentalism has been widely documented but has not received sufficient attention from critical theorists. The movement has had influence on political elites and political discourse although its grass roots support is problematic. “Revitalization” and “dedif...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Fields, Echo E. (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: 1991
In: Sociological analysis
Year: 1991, Volume: 52, Issue: 2, Pages: 175-190
Online Access: Volltext (JSTOR)
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Summary:The development of a politically active fundamentalism has been widely documented but has not received sufficient attention from critical theorists. The movement has had influence on political elites and political discourse although its grass roots support is problematic. “Revitalization” and “dedifferentiation” theories apply to movements with broad support which activist fundamentalism may not possess. Both theories are based on assumptions about the progressive nature of social evolution. An alternative analysis based on Jürgen Habermas's concepts of “legitimation crisis” and “colonization of the lifeworld” suggests that social movements such as activist fundamentalism arise in response to efforts to deal with contradictions within social systems and to struggles among the state, economy, family, and religion to control those efforts. New movements, on both the left and right, can be expected to emerge as these conflicts continue.
ISSN:2325-7873
Contains:Enthalten in: Sociological analysis
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.2307/3710962