...Theories of Social Movements Relative Deprivation Theory Relative deprivation theory, developed by Denton Morrison (1971) is a more general theory about why individuals join social movements. A person experiences relative deprivation when she feels that she is not receiving her “fair share” of what seems to be available. Therefore, the people who are the worst off are not necessarily the ones experiencing relative deprivation. For instance, research in the Civil Rights movement showed that African Americans who were the most active were not most deprived but were fairly well-off, such as college students or religious leaders but they were the ones who felt the most relatively deprived. Key to the idea of relative deprivation is the notion of expectations, that is, what people think they deserve and want in life. If these expectations are met, people do not experience discontent or relative deprivation. On the other hand, if people compare themselves to their reference groups and find that they have less, they will experience relative deprivation. If an individual feels that everyone else seems to be wealthier or generally seems to have it better, they will experience relative deprivation. A second key to the idea of relative deprivation is the notion of legitimate expectations. Relative deprivation is not simply the idea that people want what everyone else has. It is the idea that they think they deserve it and have a right to it. Therefore, if they do not get what they...
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...Social change is defined as the transformation of culture and social institutions over time (pg. 479). Some features of social change may be that it is unplanned, controversial, or happen at a fast pace. There are four types of social movements. The first is an alternative social movement. This type of social movement happens when the change that is sought is limited. An example of this type of movement is the Promise Keepers. This group promotes a more spiritual way of living for men and for them to better support their families. The second type of social movement is a redemptive one. The purpose of this social change is to help certain people redeem their lives. An example of this type of social movement is SADD, Students Against Destructive Decisions. This is a movement trying to stop students from making bad choices, such as underage drinking or other drug use. Third is a reformative social movement, in which it targets everybody but is a limited change. Getting people to reduce, reuse, recycle, is a type of social movement to protect the environment. Finally, a revolutionary social movement is when a big change is requested by a whole society. An example of this is when a Communist party is pushing for the government to control the entire economy. Modernization is defined as the process of social change that is begun by industrialization (pg. 485). Four features of modernization include the decline of small or traditional communities, the expansion of personal choice...
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...OVERVIEWS Four Stages of Social Movements Social Movements & Collective Behavior > Four Stages of Social Movements Table of Contents Abstract Keywords the four stages of social movements. The four stages of social movement development are emergence, coalescence, bureaucratization, and decline. The Decline stage can result from several different causes, such as repression, co-optation, success, failure, and mainstream. The four stages of development model can be applied to understand how movements form, grow, and dissipate. It has limitations, however, in its application to new social movements and movements that are not rooted in political action. Despite these limitations, the four stages model is still highly useful in understanding collective action and provides a useful frame of analysis for sociologists considering social movements and their effects in the past and present. Overview What is a Social Movement? Four Stages of Social Movements Stage 1: Emergence Stage 2: Coalescence Stage 3: Bureaucratization Stage 4: Decline Repression Co-optation Success Failure Establishment with Mainstream Overview There have been many social movements throughout history that have dramatically changed the societies in which they occurred. There have been many failed social movements as well. Throughout the history of the United States alone there have been a number of important and notable social movements. These movements have varied widely in their ideologies; some movements have...
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...1. What is a social problem? Using a social problem as an example, define and explain the four parts of the definition. (You will find a discussion of this in the week one lecture). a. A social problem is a condition that at least some people in a community view as being undesirable. For example, murders and DWI’s mean most people would agree that these are a social problem. Such as another example when you see teenagers play loud music in a public part. Most adults will find it rather annoying vs. a teen who is enjoying the music. i. The four parts of a social problem is Emergence, Coalescence, Bureaucratization, and decline. Stage one emergence within this stage, social movements are preliminary and there is little to no organization. An example of this, is the Civil Rights Movement in 1950’s. Stage two Coalescence, which considers itself more as an obstacle with many, can’t overcome. Often though, these social problems usually pass without and actual problems or organizing of any kind. An example of this would be people in a community can complain to each other about other people’s injustice but they don’t ever come together and actually solve the problem. We can also call this Gossip. Stage three is Bureaucratization which is characterized by way higher levels of organizations. In this situation, some movements usually have success and raise awareness to a problem to such a degree that it can be strategized and handled properly. The final stage is decline;...
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...Maiyo Shahrawan POLB91 University of Toronto Kevin Edmonds 03/10/16 Analyzing and Deciphering James Scott’s Concept of “Weapons Of The Weak” There is an array of divergent groups, collectives and associations around the globe that consistently proceed to spread their opinions and display their presence in the largest scale possible. Among these factions include, social movements, social non-movements and civil society organizations. These groups have historically been successful in overcoming their oppressors and doing what is in their nature to complete the necessary tasks in order to have their voice heard by those they wish to protest to. Examples of mainstream social movements include Black Lives Matter, Animal Rights Movements, Klu Klux Klan, etc (Moore, 1992: 133). However, although social movements have been successful before, the very dependence of their success, lays in certain specific aspects surrounding these social movements. These conditions include the status of the society these movements are operating in, the condition of the relationship between the government and the citizens of these movements, and also it depends on the rights and laws that exist within the society. For example, in wealthier societies, citizens have the right and freedom to protest and are confident in indulging in contentious politics because their laws and rights causes them to feel that they hold a sense of protection from the government. However in other more poverty-stricken states...
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...Gladwell observes that social media based activism is not as creditable or reliable as it used to be during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. throughout the essay he compares the sit-in of four college boys from Greensboro, North Carolina to the modern activist done through Twitter and Facebook. In Gladwell’s view, “Where activists were once defined by their cause, they are now defined by their tools.” (404). In other words, Gladwell believes activists are associated more with their social media platforms than their causes. He refutes the idea of social media based activism because there is no centralized authority, weak-ties among the activists, and little to no discipline or strategy. Unlike Twitter and Facebook activism, traditional...
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...end up becoming or aiding some form of a social movement. Social movements were and still are an integral part within the making of modern America. Some of the most notable social movements are The Women’s Rights Movement and The Civil Rights Movement. Although these are not the only ones that made a large impact within the country, they merely are just the most taught. Another movement that made an impact on this country is the labor movement, this movement was first started in mid-1800’s. The first labor movement was mainly focused on factory workers and people working within cities. It missed...
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...ESSAY #1 – Politics of Affect Affect theory has recently become a burgeoning field of study. In the most basic of definitions, affect is the visceral force that is around the body, something that is not consciously known, yet it can influence our movements, thoughts, and the way one relates to other people and objects. Many theorist from a wide variety of academic disciplines have contributed to the field of affect studies. This essay will look at selected works of Nigel Thrift, Deborah Gould, and Ruth Leys to show how they have contributed to the development of affect studies. The essay will also aim to show how they might differ or agree on certain concepts within affect theory amongst other prominent affect theorist. Nigel Thrift is a leading academic in the field of human geography and has made significant contributions to the field of affect. His article, Intensities of Feelings: Towards a Spatial Politics of Affect, attempts to show that the politics of affect are central to the life of cities, given that cities are inhuman or trans-human entities and that politics is understood as a process of community without unity (Thrift, 2004, p. 57). For Thrift, affect is an object or subject of manipulation, and it is closely tied to power and how it operates, affective life and emotional life is the setting for operation of power. He states “…it is so crucial to address affect now: in at least one guise the discovery of new means of practising affect is also the discovery...
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...Social change refers to a gradual change in the nature, in social institutions, social behaviors or social relations in a society. - Social change alludes to convergence of social forces which influence the rise in a new order of existence including shaping the way people live. - There is a change in societal attitude and behavior. - There is a complete change in the whole system of the society - There may not necessarily be a significant change in the old to the new system of social change. Social movements are large non formal groupings of people that focus on change. Either they promote or resist the change. The four types of social movements: Alternative Social Movement, include those supporting civil rights, gay rights, trade unions and environmental groups. Redemptive social movements aim to change certain targeted habits in society such as alcoholism in specific affected individuals through the alcoholic anonymous organization. Reformative social movements target a limited change for the society as a whole. Revolutionary social movements undertake actions that aim to influence complete change in the whole society in a big way such as the Democratic Party in the USA Modernization is the process of social change begun by industrialization. The decline of small, traditional communities during the pre industrial times resulted in the breaking up of communities that were held together resulting in reduction of responsibility. The expansion of personal choice led people...
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...Since the 2000s, there has been a resurgence of mass political and social movements—reminiscent of the anti-Vietnam protests of the 60s. One such movement, Black Lives Matter, has captured the public's interest and conversation in recent years. Four years ago, three African American women founded BLM in response to anger over the death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teen, killed while walking home, by George Zimmerman—a neighborhood watch volunteer. They created #blacklivesmatter and the rest was history. However, this week, on the 5-year anniversary of Trayvon’s death, there’s still a lot of confusion and misconceptions that surround this movement. Many people still don't know who leads it, what they want, or how they plan on achieving...
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...I have learned a lot about the concepts that involve social movements and collective action. The four that will be discussed are as follows: counter movements, myth of grassroots, emotions, and collective memories. Growing up my mother also told me that I will encounter people who will not agree with what I value and believe in. The same is true for many social movements. Many movements have opposing movements, this is called, counter movement. According to Staggenborg, a counter movement is defined as, “a set of opinions and beliefs in a population opposed to a social movement” (Staggenborg 2011:6). A counter movement is formed because a social movement has risen and the counter movement is trying to oppose the values, beliefs, and standards...
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...Thematic Essay Practice – Reform Movements US History/Napp Name: __________________ From the August 2004 New York States Regents/ U.S. History & Government THEMATIC ESSAY QUESTION Directions: Write a well-organized essay that includes an introduction, several paragraphs addressing the task below, and a conclusion. Theme: Reform Movements Task: Some suggestions you might wish to consider include the abolitionist movement, Populist movement, Progressive movement, women’s rights movement, civil rights movement, and the labor movement. Gathering the Facts: 1- The Abolitionist Movement • “The goal of the abolitionist movement was the immediate emancipation of all slaves and the end of racial discrimination and segregation. • Advocating for immediate emancipation distinguished abolitionists from more moderate anti-slavery advocates who argued for gradual emancipation, and from free-soil activists who sought to restrict slavery to existing areas and prevent its spread further west. • Radical abolitionism was partly fueled by the religious fervor of the Second Great Awakening, which prompted many people to advocate for emancipation on religious grounds. • Abolitionist ideas became increasingly prominent in Northern churches and politics beginning in the 1830s, which contributed to the regional animosity between North and South leading up to the...
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...27 collective effectiveness. This finding illustrates how the impact of social ties on individuals’ perceptions manifests itself in different ways. Moreover, it shows that there is a privileged path (highlighted with bold arrows in Figures 1 and 2) leading to strong participation in social movements. Of all perceptions, individual effectiveness is the factor in the decision process that most closely influences the level of participation in both the Bern Declaration and the WWF. Prospective members with a strong feeling that if they engage in protest, their participation will serve at least to a certain extent to bring about social change will actualize their potential for mobilization at the highest level of involvement. Individual effectiveness is also one of the perceptions of the model that is most influenced by social networks, directly but also indirectly via interest in the political issue and the perception of the organization’s effectiveness . This last result highlights the close interweaving between social ties and individual effectiveness. In other words, it stresses the interconnectedness of relational factors and human agency, and demonstrates that both structuralist and rationalist accounts are indispensable to explanation of individual participation. Conclusion Social networks matter, but they do so by performing various functions in the process of individual participation. They intervene at least three different ways. First, they intervene in the socialization...
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...SOCIAL INNOVATOR SERIES: WAYS TO DESIGN, DEVELOP AND GROW SOCIAL INNOVATION DANGER AND OPPORTUNITY CRISIS AND THE NEW SOCIAL ECONOMY Robin Murray 2 TITLE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This essay was written while the author was a Visiting Fellow at NESTA and forms part of a series of publications on methods of social innovation led by the Young Foundation with the support of NESTA. I would like to thank NESTA for their support, and in particular Dr Michael Harris, as well as my colleagues at the Young Foundation, Julie Caulier-Grice and Geoff Mulgan, all of whom have given valuable comments on the text. Published September 2009 CONTENTS 1 CONTENTS 1. The argument 2 5 9 23 39 52 54 55 2. The context of crisis 3. The emerging economic landscape 4. Can the new social economy respond? 5. Social innovation and the crisis of policy Bibliography Weblinks Endnotes 2 DANGER AND OPPORTUNITY CRISIS AND THE NEW SOCIAL ECONOMY 1 THE ARGUMENT The rise of the new social economy This pamphlet argues that the early years of the 21st century are witnessing the emergence of a new kind of economy that has profound implications for the future of public services as well as for the daily life of citizens. This emerging economy can be seen in many fields, including the environment, care, education, welfare, food and energy. It combines some old elements and many new ones. I describe it as a ‘social economy’ because it melds features...
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...wherein they experience social problem, social movement and social change. They overcome these situations after a long period of time through tough situations and countless meetings of the British Government and Nelson Mandela. 2. What social problems have you observe in the movie? Explain why it exists. The social problem that existed in the movie was the discrimination being received by the South African citizens in their own country. They were treated as slaves. This is what triggered them to revolt and fight for their rights. This social problem started small from opinions in neighborhood to group organizations. They wanted to overthrow the government and fight for their rights. 3. Define the meaning of social movement and social change by citing scenes in the movie. Social movement is a collectivity acting with some continuity to promote ore resist a change in society or group of which it is part. (Turner and Killian) It may also refer to those activities in which people unite in an organized, long-term effort to change their society or in which they resist and express dissatisfaction with the existing order through outright and prolonged actions. (Hollnsteiner) 4. Define the stages of a social movement by citing scenes in the movie. The stages of social movement are emergence, coalescence, bureaucratization, and decline. 1. Emergence * Potential movement participants may be unhappy with some policy or some social condition, but they have...
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