Social Movement Theory Responces

1. What is the point of Social Movement Theory (SMT)? 
The aim of SMT is to to explain when, how, and why people act together to succeed in achieving common goals.
2.  Is there any reason we couldn’t use the same analytical frameworks to study, say, the American Civil Rights movement and movements for political change in the MENA region?
I think we can use the same frameworks to study the Civil Rights movement and mobilization in the MENA region because the characteristics of both are loosely similar. However, the SMT model may not work perfectly for either. The American Civil Rights movement focused more on legal reform while the MENA movements focused more on social mobilization and the taking back of power from the elites.
3. What use can SMT be in understanding the success of Islamist movements?
We can use SMT to analyze the factors contributing to the rise of Islamist movements and what makes them so attractive to disenfranchised people. We can also use it to see what some of these movements' strengths and weaknesses are.