EXPLORING THE POLITICS OF SOCIAL-MOVEMENTS THROUGH SOCIOLOGICAL INTERVENTION - A CASE-STUDY OF LOCAL EXCHANGE TRADING SCHEMES

Touraine's method of Sociological Intervention (SI) for the analysis o f social movements is examined in the light of a case study of Local E xchange Trading Schemes (LETS). Tempered by Melucci's critique of Tour aine's attempt to find one 'higher' meaning of a social movement, LETS was examined using a staged series of focus groups to uncover and ill uminate the extent that LETS can be regarded as a social movement. The appropriateness of SI as a method within the resource constraints of a small study is discussed, and SI is recommended as an effective meth od of examining emerging social movements if triangulated with other m ethodological approaches.