Comparative Sociology, Global History, and Contentious Politics: A Special Issue Celebrating the Work of Charles Tilly

Abstract

Charles Tilly is a towering figure in the social sciences. His work has influenced generations of scholars across disciplines, yet younger generations are often less familiar with his work. This is a lost opportunity given the analytical depth of Tilly’s oeuvre. Much of his work on areas outside of state formation and social movements remains underutilized, while research agendas across the social sciences can be strengthened by building on his work and testing his theories and hypotheses. This introductory article discusses examples of the application of some of Tilly’s approaches to contexts in the Middle East and North Africa, to theory building, and methodological issues, as seen by scholars who were part of Tilly’s last generation of students.