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
