After the Carnations: Social Movements in Portugal Since the 25 April 1974 Revolution - (The Portuguese-Speaking World) (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

The Portuguese revolution of April 25, 1974, has drawn much well-deserved scholarly attention: it offers an innovative example of a leftist military-led revolutionary process that unexpectedly resulted in the transition to a West European-style social democracy. Although much of the existing scholarship has logically focused on the emerging political elites and institutions of the period, there is much more to consider about the revolution's ramifications to the Portuguese social-movement sector.

This volume examines the legacy of social movements that emerged during the Portuguese Revolution. Each case study was selected to demonstrate the breadth and variety of the Revolution's activist landscape, as well as the challenges of mobilization during regime transitions. As a whole, the volume offers an exploration of the imprint that social movements left on Portuguese democracy.

The chapters help us answer a variety of pertinent questions. Which social movements have survived post April 25? How did those movements adapt to the new institutional context? How have they remained relevant? Which issues/impacts did these organizations have that are still resonant today? Which repertoires of contention remain in the toolkit of tactics that current social movements use? What has been their impact on the quality of Portuguese democracy?

Review Quotes

"Daniela Melo and Paul Manuel have brought together a galaxy of Portuguese scholars to examine in forensic, and at times provocative detail, the social movements that emerged in Portugal after the "revolution of carnations" of 25th April 1974, which overthrew Europe's oldest dictatorship, as well as ending the colonial wars in the Portuguese colonies in Africa. The young captains who made the coup in April 1974 were tired of their endless deployments overseas, but their action provoked within Portugal a revolutionary wave of popular support, protest, social agitation and organisation, which encompassed all levels of society, mobilising social movements on the left and on the right, and in the south and in the north of Portugal. What happened to these movements over the next fifty years is the subject of this book which takes us up to the present with the emergence of a powerful anti-immigrant right wing populist movement and political party which is rewriting the political landscape in Portugal. How this happened, and the sometimes bitter debates it provoked about the legacy of the Portuguese revolution, are all discussed here in fascinating detail. And this book is also an essential contribution to the wider debate about the origins and effectiveness of social movements in modern European society." Professor Kenneth Maxwell

"This book, edited by Daniela Melo and Paul Christopher Manuel, makes an invaluable contribution in this field. Portugal has undergone a significant process of change since the 1974-75 Revolution, which approaches its 50th anniversary. Is there a better way to celebrate this event than to promote a reflection on the role of social movements in the construction of Portuguese democracy?" - Dr Maria Inácia Rezola, Nova University Lisbon

"One mark of a successful volume is that it points the way to a future agenda of research. This excellent volume does so in spades." - Professor Miguel Glatzer, La Salle University

"This book is an important addition to the literature on social movements, democratization, and contemporary Portuguese history. It provides a diverse exploration of the role of social movements in shaping modern Portuguese society and politics. The depth of research, clarity of writing, and comprehensive scope make it a very valuable resource for scholars, students, and anyone interested in the topic." - Luís Nuno Rodrigues, ISCTE-University Institute of Lisbon