Social movements and rights claims: the case of action groups in the Niger Delta.
Abstract
This chapter examines how the various claims to and demands for rights have enabled and shaped the range of equity- and justice-seeking social movements that have emerged in the Niger Delta; the key point, of course, being that claims to rights are fundamental to the logic and coherence of social movements.
The chapter is in three sections. The first sets the conceptual and analytical frame by elaborating on the rights–social movements nexus. This is followed by a discussion of the historical and conceptual location of the Niger Delta. The rest of the chapter interrogates the contexts of relative deprivation, rights denial and injustice within which social movements have emerged in the Niger Delta region. A major objective is to explain why the social movements have been largely ethnic and most recently generational, and to analyse the dynamics and outcomes of the rights struggles waged by the various social movements.
Owing to copyright restrictions, only the first 3 pages are attached, together with a link to the book at Zed Books.
Citation
Osaghae, E. E. Social movements and rights claims: the case of action groups in the Niger Delta. In: Citizenship and Social Movements: Perspectives from the Global South.. Zed Books, London, UK (2010) ISBN 9781848133884