Stories, Identities, and Political Change

Rating:
Summary: relational analysis; unique perspectives
Review: In this collection of essays, Tilly tackles a range of topics from a relational analysis perspective. He clearly states his disagreements with social scientists' tendencies in other main schools of thought (methodological individualism, phenomenological individualism, holists) to try to put our experiences into what he calls "standard stories" and offers often startling suggestions on alternative ways at looking at social processes with the goal of being better able to explain our social world.

Despite densely packed concepts and ideas, the writing is clear and crisp with tinges of a caustic wit, especially in some of the earlier chapters in which he is critiquing other scholars' works. Well worth reading for those studying social sciences or who have an academic interest in power, social movements, and identity in the modern world.