About us
The Research Programme Social Movements and Poverty in Peru and South Africa at the School of Environment and Development in the University of Manchester aims to develop a coherent body of knowledge on:
- the overall significance of social movements for poverty reduction
- the strategies used by social movements that are recognized to have secured enhanced inclusion and recognition, and the redistribution, transfer or generation of material benefits
- the influence of state regime type on social movements' strategy choice and the relative success of these strategies
- the ways in which social movement strategies and activities incorporate the poorest
It also looks to develop theoretical and empirical understandings of:
- The importance of social movements in poverty reduction
- The dimensions of movement type and political context that affect movement choice of strategy
- The dimensions of movement type and political context that determine the effects of these strategies
Convinced that the link between research and policy making provides significant advantages for improving the ability of societies to foster equitable and fair economic, social and political change, the Programme also collaborates with non-governmental and social organizations supporting them in analyses of the poverty implications of social movement proposals and government policies.
The Programme is also constituted as a space for research networking and will work in collaboration with research centres, non-governmental and other organizations in Peru and South Africa.
This Research Programme is supported by the Economic and Social Research Council.