Social revolutions happen when states break down because of an external threat while peasant revolutions erupt. This is why Theda Skocpol called her book States and Social Revolutions, instead of merely Social Revolutions. The emphasis on the state means revolutions are seen as attempts to wrest state control to drive social transformation.
Social revolutions, however, have not happened yet in the Philippines. Peasant revolts have occurred, but no wholesale transformation of society has ever transpired. Land reform is a failure, and the landed elite, although no longer a monopoly, remains entrenched in power. I also doubt whether social revolution is still possible in the age of globalization. More likely, competition from abroad have simply destroyed the capacity of peasant movements to organize and resist.
I particularly liked Skocpol's work since I love history. She has combined the theoretical rigor of social science with the narrative richness of history in a way that is intellectually satisfying.
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