This course is designed to introduce a conceptual toolkit that is useful for understanding the origins, dynamics, and impacts of political movements. It starts with an attempt to distinguish between "normal" political process and political movements. Then it presents two typologies of political movements, one based on claims, the other based on forms of collective action. The third, and most important, part of the course focuses on a number of key concepts, such as relative deprivation, framing, and political opportunity structure, which are often used when analysing the emergence of political movements.