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Revolutions of the 21st century and the fifth generation of researchers of revolutionary events

Grinin L.Ye.,

HSE University; Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, leonid.grinin@gmail.com

elibrary_id: 250272 | ORCID: 0000-0003-0278-2619 | RESEARCHER_ID: D-8842-2012

Korotayev A.V.,

HSE University; Institute for African Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, akorotayev@gmail.com

elibrary_id: 72980 | ORCID: 0000-0003-3014-2037 | RESEARCHER_ID: N-1160-2018

Article received: 2025.02.21 14:16. Accepted: 2025.07.23 14:16


DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2025.06.12
EDN: VOOUVS

Rubric: Theory and methodology of political studies

For citation:

Grinin L.Ye., Korotayev A.V. Revolutions of the 21st century and the fifth generation of researchers of revolutionary events. – Polis. Political Studies. 2025. No. 6. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2025.06.12. EDN: VOOUVS (In Russ.)

This article is an output of a research project implemented as part of the Basic Research Program at the HSE University in 2025 with support of the Russian Science Foundation (Project Number 23-18-00535).

Abstract

In the early 2000s, after Jack Goldstone’s article on the formation of a fourth generation of revolution researchers, interest in the study of these generations grew. Since 2019, discussions have even begun that a fifth generation of researchers of revolution has come or may come to replace it. At the same time, the points of view on what kind of generation this is, whether it has formed, what tasks it faces, etc., vary considerably. The authors of the article believe that the fifth generation of theorists already exists, but this generation has not yet fully revealed itself. However, the analysis of the fifth generation of researchers is a major task that cannot be accomplished in one article. Therefore, the main objective of this article is to argue in detail and develop the thesis that each generation of revolution researchers has its own revolutions, which have distinctive characteristics. The specificities have led to a variety of scientific and political approaches, specific research methods, and much more.

Keywords

theory of revolution, generations of revolution researchers, fourth generation of researchers, fifth generation of researchers, Arab Spring, world-system factor, social revolution, democratic revolution.

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