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 …show more content…
On February 15, 2017 Professor Powell-Williams discussed an example of social movement and counter movement. An example from the lecture of a counter movement is the Patriot Guard Riders who opposed the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC). Professor Powell-Williams discussed how the WBC would picket and protest at military solders funerals because they thought the solider had been associated with the LGBT community. The WBC stood firmly on their beliefs that gays and anyone associated with them are going to hell. Counter movements have a collective action. The Patriot Guard Riders are an organization which ensures that military and first responders funerals are respected which was their collective action goal. The Patriot Guard Riders would also show up at the funeral and take a stand back. From this the counter movement showed their collective action by taking a stand against the …show more content…
Emotions are controlled by the way people should act, think, or even suppress feelings in different movements (Benford: 65). Social movements often engage in what is called, emotion work and feeling rules. Emotion work is how social movements should control their emotions. Feeling rules are ways to suppress or evoke certain feelings. Emotion work and feelings rules are important to social movements and collective action because according to Beford, “movement activists attempt to orchestra and manage affective orientations towards events or objects that deem consistent with the movements narratives” (Benford: 65). Working on the participant’s emotions in an organization is important because it creates collective action through the unity of the movements emotions. An, example of emotions in a movement is when solders go after and defend their country. There is this sense of pride and respect among the solders which creates a common goal in mind. In other words, emotion work and feeling rules in a social movement is needed because it keeps the participants in unity with the social movements goal. For an example, if the social movement about saving animals from being extinct, the emotions that the movements should be exemplified is preserving, caring, and anything along those lines. The movement does not need members with a hateful and cold attitude