Beyond Woke and Anti-Woke: Explaining the Rise of Social Justice Ideology

Abstract

Many rail against ‘woke’ ideology. Others dismiss the backlash as a rebranding of conservative concerns. Taking a third way, this book argues that social justice ideology centres identity and direct action and expands concepts of harm, distinguishing it from liberalism. Drawing on the latest datasets, the book offers a sober, evidence-based account of the ideology’s emergence. As women and minorities have gained visibility and new generations have come of age, progressive ideologies have shifted under pressure. Post-2008 economic crises weakened liberalism, giving social justice ideology mass appeal. Amid polarized debates over ‘woke’ culture, this is a vital resource for scholars and students seeking an objective study of social justice ideology beyond the usual culture-war framing