The study of identities and new social movements in state politics is approached through various frameworks that help analyze the complex dynamics of collective action, social change, and political engagement.

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Here are three prominent frameworks applied to this field:

1. Identity Politics Framework:

Focus: This framework centers on the role of identity, emphasizing how individuals and groups mobilize around shared characteristics, such as race, gender, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation.
Application: In the study of new social movements, the identity politics framework explores how marginalized or minority groups organize to assert their rights and challenge existing power structures. It analyzes the impact of identity-based mobilization on political agendas and policies.
Example: The LGBTQ+ rights movement, which advocates for the rights of individuals based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, is often analyzed through an identity politics framework.

2. Resource Mobilization Framework:

Focus: This framework concentrates on the resources—financial, human, and organizational—that social movements mobilize to achieve their goals.
Application: In the context of new social movements in state politics, the resource mobilization framework helps understand how diverse groups organize, fundraise, and build networks to influence political outcomes. It analyzes the strategic allocation of resources to enhance the impact of social movements.
Example: The environmental movement’s efforts to mobilize funding, scientific expertise, and public support to address climate change can be studied using the resource mobilization framework.

3. Political Process Framework:

Focus: This framework examines the interaction between social movements, political structures, and institutions. It considers how political opportunities and constraints shape the emergence, strategies, and outcomes of social movements.
Application: When applied to new social movements in state politics, the political process framework explores the influence of the political context on movements. It assesses the role of state policies, government responsiveness, and broader political environments in shaping the trajectory of social movements.
Example: The civil rights movement in the United States can be analyzed through the political process framework, considering how changing political dynamics, court decisions, and legislative actions influenced the movement’s strategies and outcomes.

4. New Social Movement Framework:

Focus: This framework specifically addresses the characteristics of ‘new’ social movements, which emerged in the late 20th century and differ from traditional movements in terms of goals, structure, and issues.
Application: When studying identities and new social movements in state politics, this framework helps analyze the post-materialist values, decentralized structures, and focus on identity politics that characterize ‘new’ movements. It explores how these movements engage with the state and impact political processes.
Example: The women’s movement’s emphasis on issues related to gender equality, reproductive rights, and cultural change aligns with the features of ‘new’ social movements and can be studied within this framework.

In summary, scholars use multiple frameworks to study identities and new social movements in state politics, each providing unique insights into the motivations, strategies, and impacts of these movements. These frameworks contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between identity, politics, and social change.