Chapter 12: Social Movements and Social Change

Social Movements

A large number of people come together in continued, organized effort to bring about or resist social change Noninstitutionalized action: marches, boycotts, demonstrations, and civil disobedience Oriented toward longer term goals with supporting set of beliefs and opinions Traditionally lack access to political power

Why Do Social Movements Arise? Microlevel Explanations

Activism likely if: Had prior contact with movements Social networks support movements Personal or family history of activism Lack of practical constraints Sense of moral rightness

Sources of Societal Change

Collective Behavior: Voluntary, goal-oriented action, relatively disorganized situations, predominant social norms and values cease to govern Example: Occupy Wall Street and Arab Spring movements Reaction to provocative or seemingly innocuous situation Seemingly spontaneous, reflects group response to larger social conditions

Functionalist Perspective

As societies develop, become more complex and interdependent Differentiation: development of increasing complexity through specialized social roles and institutions Differentiation can also lead to greater independence--dedifferentiation

Sociological Perspectives on Social Change

Can take place on micro or macro level Social change: changes that occur throughout social structure of entire society Societies: entities comprised of those people who share a common culture

Rise-and-Fall Theory of Societal Change

Change reflects cycle of growth and decline, rather than forward direction Sorokin: Shift between different mentalities, giving primacy to the senses, religiosity, or logic and reason

Social Movement Organizations

Conscience constituents: not directly affected by the cause, but provide resources Political system may encourage or repress Dense neighborhoods, workplaces facilitate social interaction and spur movement

Forms of Collective Behavior

Craze: intense attraction to an object, person, or activity Rumors: unverified information transmitted informally, usually originating from unknown source Allport and Postman: rumors reflect belief systems of those passing them along Tap into collectively held beliefs, fears, and hopes

Contagion Theories

Crowds: temporary gatherings of closely interacting people with common focus Unable to make rational decisions as individuals Contagion theory: people revert to herd-like behavior in large crowds Individual acts become contagious Some discredit collective behavior as "bandwagoning"

Forms of Collective Behavior

Fads: temporary, highly imitated outbreaks of mildly unconventional behavior Fashion: somewhat long-lasting style of imitative behavior or appearance Success undermines attractiveness Well-organized efforts of design, manufacturing, marketing, and media

Why Do Social Movements Arise? Organizational Movements

Formal organizations that seek social change through noninstitutionalized forms of action Rational action, defined goals, bureaucratic organizational structure Resource mobilization theory: ability to generate money, membership, political support Emerge and flourish in times of change

New Social Movements

Four distinct characteristics: Address control of symbols and information Value participation for its own sake Day-to-day networks of people Interconnectedness: think globally, act locally

Frame Alignment

Frame alignment: process of matching SMO's interests, ideas, values to society's Some support the issue, others weakly support, and others do not support at all

New Social Movements

Fundamentally concerned with quality of private life, advocate large-scale change Relationship between personal experiences and larger social forces

Social Movement Organizations

If successful, become mainstream, rank-and-file disappear, goals displacement Grassroots organizing: mobilize support among ordinary members in community

Why Do Social Movements Arise? Microlevel Explanations

Motivated by identification with others similarly afflicted Free rider problem: people avoid costs of activism (time, energy, and resources) and still benefit from its success

Rise-and-Fall Theory of Societal Change

Kennedy: As nations grow in economic power, seek world military power, leads to collapse Weber: Societies are increasingly governed by rationality, rules, and regulations, which can also result in irrationality

Conflict Theories of Social Change

Marx: conscious working class will rise and overthrow capitalism Gramsci: people consent to domination by accepting ruling-class hegemonies Dahrendorf: distribution of authority determines probability of conflict

Value-Added Theories

Micro- and macro-level factors contribute and converge Structural conduciveness Structural strain Generalized beliefs Mobilization for action Failure of social control

Emergent Norms

Norms created to support collective action, crowd adheres to norms Even when crowd behavior appears chaotic and disorganized, norms emerge that explain the crowd's actions

Types of Social Movements

Reactionary: seek to restore earlier social system along with traditional norms/values that accompanied it Often based on mythical past Arise in reaction to social change that threatens or replaces old order Countermovement or resistance movement

Types of Social Movements

Reformist: seek change within existing economic and political system Address legal institutions Utopian: withdraw from dominant society and create own ideal communities

Types of Social Movements

Revolutionary: seek to fundamentally alter existing economic, political, social system, vision of a new social order Clear targets: unjust government May see violence on one or both sides Rebellions: seek to overthrow existing system but lack plan for new social order

Forms of Collective Behavior

Riot: illegal, prolonged outbreak of violent behavior by large group against individuals or property Conventional norms suspended Panic: massive flight from something feared (often technology)

Micro-Mobilization

Small-group settings, generate shared beliefs on a problem and necessary actions Connects individual concerns to collective change

Why Study Social Change?

Social change is inevitable but each generation inherits constraints and resources: Constraints: characteristics of the society that limit vision and choices Resources: characteristics of the society that they can mobilize in new and creative ways

Evolutionary Theory

Societies develop linearly from "simple" and "primitive" into more "complicated" and "civilized" forms Social change = progress Used to justify colonization and imperialism Multilinear: multiple paths to societal change

Why Study Social Change?

Sociology equips students to understand dynamics of social change and work in fields that create social change. Examples include government; social services; nonprofit management and advocacy; education, health care, entrepreneurship, politics and lobbying; community service and law