Generating Theory in the Bhopal Survivors’ Movement

There is increasing interest in social movement literature which takes seriously the critical analytical work of movement activists themselves. Bevington and Dixon (2005) have called for movement relevant theory, and Cox and Nilsen (2007) have argued for the recognition of the theory generated from within social movement literature such as email debates, blogs and wikis. These calls resonate with a tradition of radical adult education with its origins in the nineteenth-century working-class movement for really useful knowledge (Johnson, 1979; Griffin, 1983). Really useful knowledge wasselected, generated and critiqued from the standpoint of a class-conscious workers’ movement. Movement relevant theory requires the same critical reflexivity and collective self-consciousness of movement activists when engaging with knowledge and in generating theory from an epistemic standpoint of oppression and experience of engagement in struggle. However, social movement literature tends to be situated in the context of literate movements, predominantly in the global North. There are important methodological questions relating to theory generation and analysis amongst non-literate movement activists and leaders, which is more typical in the global South.