CHAPTER 19

political process model

A theoretical perspective that emphasizes that movements are concerned with politics, not individual psychological states, and are a rational form of politics ("politics by other means") and a normal response, under certain circumstances, to routine institutional political processes. Movements emerge and may be successful if those political processes create political opportunities for certain kinds of collective protest.

resource-mobilization approach

A theoretical perspective that emphasizes the importance of resources, like labor and money, for generating and sustaining social movements. The more resources a movement is able to employ or mobilize, the more successful it is likely to be.

revolution

A revolution consists, at minimum, of a change of government or political regime brought about, at least in part, by popular protest. Some define revolutions (or "social revolutions") more narrowly, as entailing not only a change of regime but also a fundamental change in a society's economic institutions and class structure.

framing

The specific ways in which ideas and beliefs are presented to other people. Politicians, political activists, and social movements all engage in framing efforts when they try to persuade others that their way of thinking is correct. Scholars of social movements have also focused on how activists try to frame or present their cause or ideas for change so that they make sense to or resonate with the beliefs of potential recruits and supporters.

social network

The ties or connections between people, groups, and organizations.

Why does the chapter author not include the "Arab Spring" uprisings of 2011 as social revolutions?

These revolutions involved the overthrow of authoritarian governments, but not broader changes in the social and economic life of the countries involved.

Which of the following is typical of the most important social movements?

They are agents of social and/or political change.

How are social movements similar to works of art?

They both express moral sensibilities that may be new or not widely shared in society.

The impact of the social movements of the late 1960s and early 1970s (antiwar, feminist, countercultural, environmental, etc.) is widely debated. Which of the following conclusions about the impact of the 1960s movements is absolutely correct?

They brought about cultural and lifestyle changes that have endured.

Being involved in a social movement tends to have what impact on movement participants in the rest of their lives?

They develop an activist orientation and are more likely to become involved in other movements.

Why are "free spaces" important for movements to develop?

They provide places where people can talk to each other about issues of mutual concern.

revolutionary situation

a situation that occurs when two or more political institutions or groups claim to be the rightful or legitimate rulers of a certain territory or population. Such a situation is also called "dual power" or "multiple sovereignty."

A "revolutionary situation" exists when __________.

a social movement arises from below that has enough popular support to be able to claim that it is the rightful ruler of a certain territory or even an entire country

revolutionary movement

a social movement that seeks to overthrow a government or fundamentally change a society's economic institutions and class structure.

riot

a spontaneous, unplanned collective protest, loosely organized at best, involving attacks on property and (sometimes) persons.

In the context of social movements, a "free rider" is a person who __________.

agrees with the goals of the movement but anticipates getting whatever benefits the movement might achieve without participating

To get recruits to support his free-speech social movement, Elliot regularly visited college campuses and talked informally to students. He focused his attention on college students because of their __________.

biographical availability

The United States might not have __________, had it not been for a social movement.

civil rights legislation

A group that fought slumlords and the neglect of city officials on the quality of housing in poor neighborhoods fails to win any changes, but some movement leaders are offered government positions in the housing agency and give up their activism. This is an example of __________.

co-optation

Bailey organized a series of protests of her college's admission policies that she and others felt were discriminating against racial and ethnic minorities. In response to the protests, the college administration did not change the policies, but many students, faculty, and administrators were made aware of the issues being raised and changed their own thinking about the admissions process. In this case Bailey's protests had __________.

cultural consequences

Revolutionary movements are more likely to succeed when which of the following is true?

elites in a society are divided

repertoires

in the context of social movements, repertoires (or repertoires of contention) are tactics used in the past and known by movement activists and leaders.

Major social revolutions (as defined in the chapter) are rare events in human history, fewer than 20 since 1789. The main reason why this is true is because a true social revolution __________.

involves not simply the overthrow of the government but also fundamental changes in a society's economic and social system

Repression may destroy a revolutionary social movement or it may __________.

make it stronger

Aryan is an American citizen now, but he wants to draw attention to the terrible condition of the average person in his homeland. Before he does anything else, he sends out direct mail contribution letters. What is Aryan doing?

mobilizing resources

Richard is not sure what he believes regarding gay marriage. He goes to a rally, talks to the people there, and listens to what they have to say. When he comes away, he has made up his mind. In this case, relating to a social movement helped Richard connect with his __________.

moral sensibilities

Tasha believes that killing animals is wrong and often participates in demonstrations outside animal testing facilities. Tasha's motivation to become active reflects her __________.

moral sensibility

In recent years, social movements have become __________.

more global

Democracy gives people a voice in their own destiny, channels conflicts, and has the means to provide concessions to social movements. For these reasons __________ seldom, if ever, happens in democracies.

overthrow of the government

When studying a social movement, cultural approaches differ from the resource mobilization and political process perspectives by __________.

paying closer attention to the goals, intentions, and framing strategies of a movement

free rider

someone who shares the goals of a movement or organization but doesn't participate, relying on others to achieve the goal.

If a revolutionary leader wants to speed up the time until his plans come to fruition, he might a organize a(n) __________.

spontaneous riot

In the Egyptian uprising in 2011, the downfall of the government of Hosni Mubarak was prompted in part by very large protests in a central square in the capital city (Cairo). But what other factors may have played a role?

strikes, work stoppages, and a "general strike" by workers

Jorge started an immigrants' rights group and recruited some members. However, they did not want to stage a protest for fear of getting arrested. Taking these fears into account, Jorge then asked his members to go on Twitter and encourage an email campaign to push for change. Jorge is using __________.

tactical skills

Tyler has a social cause in mind that he wants to form a social movement to protest. He speaks to his rabbi about the temple sponsoring his group and letting them use the synagogue to hold meetings. The rabbi agrees. Tyler's actions can be identified as __________.

the mobilization of resources

Cultural theories of social movements emphasize which of the following aspects of movements?

the perceptions, emotions, and values of movement participants

A movement's "tactical repertoire" refers to __________.

the strategies and forms of protest known to movement organizers and participants that they feel comfortable using

Holly has joined a local social action group. Which of the following reasons might be a likely motivation for her to get involved?

Her roommate is a member.

free space

Place where people gather that do not have any government or corporate surveillance, where oppositional ideas and tactics can develop and spread.

The political process perspective on social movements emphasizes which of the following?

Social movements arise when more conventional forms of political activity are blocked.

Social movements help keep societies from __________.

endlessly reproducing themselves

biographical availability

An individual's freedom to participate in a movement or protest due to a (relative) lack of constraining obligations created by work, school, family, or community.

moral shock

An unexpected event that surprises, distresses, and outrages people, often to the point of motivating them to join or even start a movement to eliminate the source of their outrage.

fad

Any kind of behavior that spreads (often rapidly) among a specific population and is repeated enthusiastically for some period of time before disappearing (often rapidly).

The civil rights movement used mostly peaceful protest tactics and achieved many of its goals. What does this say about the use of tactics in social movements?

Nonviolent protests can sometimes succeed.

collective identity

One's belief that one belongs to a certain group (or groups) with distinctive characteristics and interests (for example, women, the working class, or socialists). Not all such identities come easily to people; they may have to be consciously created, which is one of the things that some movements do.

Studying social movements may answer which of these questions?

Why do people cooperate with each other and get involved in movements when they can often get the same benefits without doing anything?

social movement

a conscious, concerted, and sustained effort by ordinary people to change (or preserve) some aspect of their society by using extrainstitutional means. "Extrainstitutional means" refers to collective actions undertaken outside existing institutions, like courts and legislatures, although movements may also work through such institutions, at least part of the time.

Consider this situation: In a country with a political crisis, the military seizes power. This is known as __________.

a coup d'etat

What kind of "frame" emphasizes the urgency of a problem?

a diagnostic frame

social movement organization (smo)

a formal organization that participates in, and may initiate or lead, a social movement. SMOs generally pool resources, like labor and money, which may be crucial for movements. Some movements encompass a number of SMOs that alternately cooperate and compete with one another.

What is a social movement organization?

a group that supports and/or initiates a movement as its primary activity