Transcript social movement organization

Chapter 18
Collective
Action, Social
Movements, and
Social Change
Lecture PowerPoint
© W. W. Norton & Company, 2008
Introduction
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Sociologists of science look at the interactions
between science and society.
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A paradigm is the framework within which
scientists operate. There are particular
paradigms for particular branches of scientific
research.
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Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
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Crowd collective action takes place when
members of a group are face to face.
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Mass collective action is collective action in
which close physical proximity is not necessary,
such as a letter writing campaign.
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Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
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According to convergence theory, collective
action happens when people with similar ideas and
tendencies gather in the same place.
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This theory does not explain the inconsistency of
group action—why collective action sometimes
happens under such circumstances and why it
sometimes does not.
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Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
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According to contagion theory, collective action
arises because of people’s tendency to conform to
the behavior of others.
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This theory downplays individual agency and does
not explain the inconsistency of group action.
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Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
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Emergent norm theory emphasizes the influence
of leaders in promoting particular norms that
members of a group then follow.
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This theory doesn’t explain why particular people
become leaders or why some actions emerge as
norms within a group and others don’t.
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Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
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In order explain who we are as individuals, we
tend to talk about different groups of which we are
a part. What makes each of us unique is the
particular combination of groups with which we
identify.
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Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
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A static identity is an aspect of your identity
(such as race) that doesn’t change and that
determines at least one group to which you belong.
A dynamic identity is an aspect of your identity
that is more fluid (such as working as a lifeguard
for one summer) and that is determined by a group
to which you belong.
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Social Movements
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A social movement is collective behavior that is
purposeful, organized, and institutionalized but not
ritualized.
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Alterative social movements seek limited social
change and tend to be focused on a narrow group
of people.
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Social Movements
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Redemptive social movements are also focused
on a narrow group of people, but they advocate for
more radical change.
Reformative social movements advocate for
limited social change but seek to affect that change
across an entire society.
Revolutionary social movements seek to make
radical change across an entire society.
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Social Movements
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The classical model of social movements proposes
that social movements come about as a collective
response to structural weaknesses in society that have
a psychological effect on individuals.
Resource-mobilization theory recognizes the
importance of political context and goals to the
development of social movements but also emphasizes
that social movements are unlikely to emerge without
the necessary resources.
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Social Movements
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The political process model of social movements
proposes that a social movement’s chances of
developing are heavily influenced by three sets of
conditions—
 Expanding political opportunities
 Indigenous organizational strength
 Certain shared cognitions among the movement’s
proponents
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Social Movements
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Social movements generally evolve through three
stages
 Emergence — the social problem being addressed
is first identified
 Coalescence — resources are mobilized and
concrete action is taken to address the problem
 Routinization — a formal structure develops to
promote the cause
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Social Movements
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A social movement organization (SMO) is a group
developed to recruit new members and coordinate
participation in a particular social movement.
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A professional movement organization is a type of
SMO that has full-time leadership and a large
membership base that plays a minor role in the
organization.
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Social Movements
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A participatory movement organization is a type of
SMO that directly involves its rank-and-file members in
decisions and activities to support the organization’s cause.
There are two types of participatory movement
organizations —
 Mass protest organizations advocate for social change
through protest and demonstration.
 Grassroots organizations tend to work through
existing political structures to promote social change.
You May Ask Yourself
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Social Movements
 Americans have traditionally had high participation levels
in voluntary associations and there are various theories
about why this is the case.
 However, there is some evidence that volunteerism is
on the decline in the United States, and one possible
explanation is the influence of the Internet.
 People can join groups online and donate money online
to support causes without participating in any face-toface meetings or activities.
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Social Movements and Social Change
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Not all social change is produced by social
movements—economic and political factors have a
great deal to do with the evolution of society.
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Social changes are not valued in the same way by all
people—what is of major importance to one group
may barely register for another group—and they do
not affect all people in the same way.
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Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern Societies
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Premodernity is social organization characterized
by concentric circles of social affiliation, a low
degree of division of labor, relatively undeveloped
technology, and traditional social norms.
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Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern Societies
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Modernity is social organization characterized by
rationality, bureaucratization, and objectivity in
which individuals are defined by overlapping
group affiliations.
The transition from premodernity to modernity is
linked to the expansion of scientific knowledge
and the development of new technologies and
political structures and to the notion of progress.
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Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern Societies
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Postmodernity is in many ways a reaction against
modernity:
 Characterized by a questioning of the notions of
progress and history
 Rejects the idea of a single narrative and embraces
multiculturalism
 Perceives the individual as having multiple,
conflicting identities
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Causes of Social Change
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Social change can be caused by factors other than
social movements, such as technological
innovation, new information and ideas, and
conflict between social actors.
Ironically, perhaps the greatest sign that a social
movement has been successful is when there is no
longer a need for it because it has achieved its
goal.
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Causes of Social Change
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In addition to providing a way for participants in
social movements to connect, exchange
information, and generally make their voices
heard, the Internet has itself become a forum for
radical social protest activities such as virtual sitins that jam web servers and online impersonation.
The primary achievement of such protests is to
draw media attention to a particular issue or cause.
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Concept Quiz
1. Which of the following is an example of mass collective
action?
a) A one-day strike by all Amtrak employees
b) A rally in a state capital in support of stricter emissions
standards for automobiles
c) A boycott of a clothing manufacturer that has factories
overseas where child labor is used
d) A sit-in in the administrative building of a university by
students who are protesting the firing of a professor
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Concept Quiz
2. According to ________, collective action happens when
people with similar ideas and tendencies gather in the
same place.
a)
b)
c)
d)
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resource-mobilization theory
convergence theory
emergent norm theory
contagion theory
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Concept Quiz
3. Which of the following is a criticism of contagion theory?
a)
b)
c)
d)
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It downplays individual agency.
It doesn’t explain why particular people emerge as leaders.
It overemphasizes psychological tensions.
It downplays the influence of cultural or emotional
components.
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Concept Quiz
4. Which of the following is an example of a static identity?
a)
b)
c)
d)
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Being a student
Being a graphic designer
Being of Italian descent
Being a precinct officer for a political party
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Concept Quiz
5. According to sociologist Georg Simmel, _________ refers
to a form of social organization characterized by
concentric circles of social affiliation.
a)
b)
c)
d)
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modernity
premodernity
postmodernity
hypermodernity
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Concept Quiz
6. Postmodernity is characterized by
_____________________.
a) the notion that history is driven by clashes between opposing
forces
b) a questioning of the power and relevance of social movement
organizations
c) great cultural conflict that leads to social isolation and stagnation
d) a questioning of the notion that society is always progressing
forward, building on its knowledge and inventions of the past to
create a better future
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Figure 18.1 | Premodern Society
Figure 18.2 | Modern Society
Figure 18.3 | Postmodern Society
Table 18.1 | Types of Social
Movements