THE CONCEPT OF COLLECTIVE ACTION IN CHARLES TILLY’S WORKS

Abstract

The aim of the article is to show the analytical changes and continuities in Charles Tilly’s trajectory, following the study of the use of the concept of collective action in the author’s works. For this, a comparison is made between Tilly’s first works and his later works, showing how the concept of collective action was applied in different ways, first using a more structuralist perspective and later, a much more relational and interactive model. I analyze classic works by the author, such as From Mobilization to Revolution (1978), and Contentious Performances (2008); and also examine lesser-known works, such as The Vendée (1964), where the concept of collective action already appears, long before the idea of repertoire or performance existed. I incorporate others of Tilly’s works, still little known, and also commentaries from several authors that are not available in Portuguese and were rarely cited in Brazil.