Abstract
Throughout history social movements have taken on various forms, ranging from grass- roots mobilizations to coalitions of professional organizations employing lawyers, project managers and PR specialists. They engage in their fights for both material and moral goals in various political contexts, use different resources, and strive to convince others of their world view.
This paper deals with selected key social movement theories on the background of some pivotal past events. Its aim is to offer introduction as well as a basic theoretical overview.