Chuck you are such a stinker. You *know* that I'm supposed to give a rant to Brian at BAD on Habermas and Foucault and now--NOW--you finally raise yet again this issue you've raised before, but I've never had time to adequately answer. Well, since I feel a sense of solidarity or affinity or something, then I'll reply in detail. But later. Busy eve and 'morrow. For now, I'd suggest a read of _Freedom Summer_ which utilizes oral history in order to make an argument about how social movements succeed (and fail). In this case, the author whose name escapes me right now is arguing that Freedom Summer provided the basis upon which was built a vast network of people and resources that were mobilized and disseminated in the form of the feminist movement, the black power movement, the free speech movement, etc. Great book since, otoh, he does recognize what you're talking about and I belief he called it ecstasy as well. Sociologists call it effervescence. Anyway, more anon. K