Social Movements Exam

Is LGBT an initiator or spinoff movement?

"borrowed template" but not exactly developed strategies and tactics critical to its influence Adapted technologies

Collective behavior theory

- collective behavior comes about during a period of social disruption, when grievances are deeply felt, rather than a standard part of the political process

Key Issues in the Study of SMs

- how changes and events alter resources and structures and create grievances to stimulate collective action - how cultural/political opportunities facilitate the emergence of SMs - how countermovements emerge in response to SMs - how changing conditions affect strategies, growth, maintenance, and decline - what resources are available and what structures tie groups together - how leaders use mobilizing structures, master frames, and resources to organize movements - how collective identities are developed - how coalitions are formed/maintained - how social networks lead individuals to organizations - how emotions motivate participation - how individuals decide the benefits and costs of collective action - why individuals sustain or terminate participation AND MORE

Questions often studied

- how/when movements originate - how they attract and maintain support - how they present issues and formulate strategies and tactics - how they structure organizations - why they generate opposition and sometimes decline - how and why they succeed or fail in achieving cultural or political changes

Factors involved in mobilization

- large-scale socio-economic and political changes (ex. urbanization) - opportunities and threats - critical events (ex. attempt to change MN legislature) - pre-existing or emergent organization (sharing resources) - leadership (charisma, ability to define/frame issues) - resources (ex. shared membership, networks) - frames

6 determinant model ("value added model")

1. Structural conduciveness permits and ercourages certain types of collective behavior (not one-size-fits-all) 2. Structural strain create real or anticipated deprivation 3. Growth & spread of a generalized belief (makes situation meaningful) 4. Precipitative factors give these beliefs a concrete target (goal) 5. Mobilization for collective action must occur (leadership important) 6. Social control may act to prevent collective behavior

Conditions why Stonewall is remembered

1. considered commemorable 2. had mnemonic capacity to create a commemorative vehicle able to happen because of previous activism

Structural factors to increase activism

1. prior contact with a movement member 2. membership in organizations 3. history of prior activism 4. biographical availability (not constrained by life circumstances)

Assumptions shared by collective behavior theories

1. see as existing outside of institutionalized structires 2. SMs or other forms of collective behavior arise as a result of some type of structural or cultural "breakdown" or "strain" such as a natural disaster, rapid social change, or dramatic event 3. assign an important role to the shared beliefs of participants in analyzing the emergence

Neil Smelser

6 determinant model critiques because focuses on structural strain when there may be other reasons

Resource mobilization and political process

70s moved away from theories of collective behavior --> fine-tuned & revised old theories rejected the disjuncture between routine (normal) actions and collective action

Social Movement Organization

A complex, or formal, organization which identifies its goals with the preferences of a social movement or a countermovement and attempts to implement those goals

Cycle of contention

A phase of heightened conflict across the social system - rapid diffusion of collective action from more mobilized to less mobilized sectors - rapid pace of innovation in forms of contention employed - creation of new/updated collective action frames - combination of organized and unorganized participation - sequences of intensified information flow and interaction may come from gaining access to external resources Tarrow

Countermovement

A set of opinions and beliefs in a population opposed to a social movement

McCarthy & Zald's social movement

A set of opinions and beliefs in a population which represents preferences for changing some elements of the social structure and/or reward distribution of a society

Protest cycle

AKA "cycle of contention" SM has a life course -- no set template Tarrow

Rights frame

AKA assimilationist legislative agendas wants support ex. HRC not wanting to include trans Dress codes for events

social movements

All ____________________________ are collective behavior, but not all collective behaviors are _______________________________

Tarrow's social movement

Collective changes, based on common purposes and social solidarities, in sustained interaction with elites, opponents, and authorities

Most important problem faced by SMs

Creation of organizations that are able to minimize internal conflict and develop effective strategies

Protest cycle of 1960s

Cultural changes accompanying the __________________________________________________________ created greater public space for sexual minorities. Before the rise of gay liberation movements, LGBT persons met with a great deal of repression and few obvious political opportunities

Cautious, assimilationist approach

Early organization described as taking this divide in frames (rights vs. liberation)

Recruitment

Getting individuals into movements A part of the broader process of mobilization, involving the commitment of individual resources, such as time, money, and skills, to a cause

Free-rider problem

Goal of collective action is a collective good individual will receive regardless of whether they have put in work to achieve it selective incentives or small group situation may prevent

formal organization

Have established decision-making procedures, a clear division of labor, specific criteria for membership, or rules that govern sub-units or chapters For example, if an organization has certain people go door-to-door, certain people organize paperwork in an office, certain people talk to the press, and certain people make decisions, we could infer that they have a clear division of labor aka bureaucratic

indicators of success

Laws/legislation Changed cultural understanding of grievances Media coverage

mid 20th century

May not actually be the beginning of the movement things before Stonewall (1969) -- more periodic Stonewall not the first to be considered commemorable

Political Process Theory

McAdam: factors critical to mobilization of SMs - degree of organization in a community - level of consciousness or "cognitive liberation" - the "structure of political opportunities" Emphasizes interactions between actors with the state and the role of political opportunities cycle of contention

Leadership, vision

Movements need _______________________ and _______________________ to create the collective action frames, organizational vehicles, and strategies and tactics needed for ongoing and effective campaigns

Liberation frame

No legislative agenda

Relative deprivation theory

People often rebel when things are improving Not the most deprived groups that engage in collective action -- don't want to lose what they already have relative to those around them

Contentious politics

SMs involve collective making of claims that would conflict with someone else's interests Governments figure in the claim making Tilly

movement entrepreneurs

Social movement leaders who take the initiative to mobilize people with similar preferences into a movement or movement organization leaders in a movement who use public sentiments to demand change in a public way charismatic as a leader and takes the most initiative in organizing movements and/or speaking at public events.

vehicles

Social movements are important _______________________ for social and political change

Achievement

Stonewall is a movement _____________________ rather than an account of its origins

Chicago school approach

Symbolic interactionism - how actors construct meaning through social interactions looking @ people on the ground how they act collectively & create goals, structures and culture

external conflict

The demands of supporting organizations in a movement may be conflicting. conflict over - different goals - strategies/tactics - funding - presence in the media

Collective Action Frames

The importance of meanings and ideas in stimulating protest ex. framing marriage for money/legal rights is less effective or helpful than framing for LOVE Benford & snow

Civil rights frame

The movement adapted to the decline of the 60s protest cycle by building community structures and a collective identity that helped to maintain the movement. Although the movement had difficulty pursuing some of the liberationist goals of its early years, gay rights activists made great gains in using a __________________________________________ and quasi-ethnic group identity to pursue legal rights

Professionalized

What movements can become include fairly stable organizations, often headed by paid leaders with financial contributors ("paper members") rather than activists more moderate, power hungry

beneficiary constituents

aggrieved persons or groups that stand to benefit from the successes of a movement "personally" benefit -- from group

adherent

believe in cause and want to see movement goals achieved - not motivated to act

social movement sector

collection of industries

Social movement industry

collection of organizations

Mass Society Theory

collective behavior is an extreme response to social isolation (heavily disproved/incorrect)

Gay pride parade

commemorative ritual of Stonewall

internal conflict

disagreements surrounding leadership - who has authority, is in-change, and is qualified to be - how a leader structures an organization structure - which allow for genuine participation goals - direction of movement

spinoff movements

draw impetus and inspiration from original initiator movement political opportunities do not explain the emergence may arise from organizational, ideological and cultural bases created by other movements Legacy - the 60s highlighted

institutionalized tactics

ex. lobbying Formalized and centralized structures are often associated with the use of this

political opportunity

features of the political environment that influence movement emergence and success ex. 2012 attempt to ban gay marriage --> 2013 passing same-sex marriage

Rational Choice Theory

focuses on costs and benefits of collective action for individuals costs of participation may outweigh benefits

central organization

have "a single center of power"

Modern repertoire of collective action

includes demonstrations, public meetings, petitions, press statements, symbols of personal affiliation direct-action tactics, institutionalized tactics

repertoire of collective action

limited forms of protest are familiar during a given time ex. tool box Tilly

social movement community

movements consist of networks of individuals, cultural groups, alternative institutions, and institutional supporters as well as political movement organizations

Charles Tilly

new repertoire = modular -- unspecialized strategy (willing to be shared) political view - contentious politics

conscience constituents

people who provide resources for a social movement but who are not themselves members of the aggrieved group don't "personally" benefit -- outside group

initiator movements

set in motion an identifiable protest cycle political opportunities critical to emergence

constituents

supporters who contribute resources to a movement

Resource Mobilization Theory

the mobilization of SMs requires resources, organization, and opportunities for collective action people, leadership, skills, money, space, legitimacy, tactical repertoires resources are central!!!

Mobilization

the process whereby a group that shares grievances or interests gains collective control over resources

Framing perspective

the role of movements in constructing cultural meanings, as movement leaders and organizations frame issues in particular ways to identify injustices, attribute blame, propose collective solutions, and motivate collective action