Final answer:
Subdisciplinary areas of human movement studies began to form specialist journals and societies primarily in the mid-to-late 20th century, influenced by developments in urban sociology, social movement theory, and the broader evolution of the social sciences.
Step-by-step explanation:
Specialist journals and societies in subdisciplinary areas of human movement studies, such as urban sociology and social movement theory, began to emerge at different points in time, primarily around the mid-to-late 20th century. For example, the roots of urban sociology can be traced back to the early twentieth century with significant contributions from W.E.B. Du Bois. The field has grown in tandem with social changes and the development of new scholarly movements, including the rise of transgender scholarship in the late 1980s and early 1990s and new social movement theory development by European social scientists in the 1950s and 1960s. This period was marked by post-industrial and post-modern movements, pushing the growth of specialized journals and societies within these nuanced areas.
As the social sciences sought to establish academic history and sociology as legitimate disciplines, much like the natural sciences, they led to the proliferation of specialized fields of study. Subdisciplines within human movement studies were also influenced by these broader societal and academic trends, leading to the formation of their own journals and societies.