lecture 12 - social change Flashcards
social change
significant alterations over time in social structures of a society
social structure
giddens defines it as the undrlying regularities or patterns in how peple behave and in their relationships with one another
social movement
- organized collective activities to bring about or resist fundamental change in an existing group or society
- differences between hegemonic groups and their opponents is the core of political and ideological struggles and social movements are the agents of change
civil society
all social groups and relationships outside of the state and private sector
- family, community groups, social movements, schools, non-governmental organizations, trade unions, religious groups
astroturfing
when governments, corporation or political parties form organizations that pretend to be civil organizations and hide their actual intentions and sponsors.
- all about being fake
types of social movements
- alternative
- redemptive
- reformative
- womens
- revolutionary
alternative movements
seek limited change only in some specififc areas pften involving life style issues
- ex: mothers against drunk driving or planned parenthood
redemptive movements
focus on a specific segment of society and demand more radical change from their memebrs
- ex: alcoholic anonymous
reformative movements
aim to change specific structure in existing political system. target more limited change but want these changes to take place at societal level
ex: blm, min wage, food justice, environmental, women’s movement
revolutionary movements
seek comprehensive transformation of a society in a new way
- ex: civil rights movements, or nationalist such as quebec separation
relative deprivation
the perception discrepencies between what participants belive they deserve vs what they received.
- its not the worst off who are likely to join a movement, but those who experience a relative decline in their situations
- group mobilizes into social movement only if they belive that their shared perception can be ended trhough collective action
- those who experience a decline are more like to act than those who are worst off
resource mobilization
the ways in which a social movement utilizes resources like money, political influence, access to the media and personell
- leadership is a central factor in mobilization
- marx say propaganda is important to make workers become aware of their oppressed status and develop class consciouss
new social movements
not just about economic issues anymore.
- now its around values/ social identitieswith specific focuses on issues like gender, environemnt, social justice, lifestyle
- social movements used to attarct working class and peasantry but now mostly middle class
framing theory
- interactionist
- frame are interpretations of reality that guide individuals, groups or societies in providing and organizing solutions to specific issues
- social movements consruct reality by providing these frames
durkheim and order
wanted to know what led to maintenace of order in industrial societies
- modernization resulted in a move from simple to complex division of labor
- instead of likeness that maintained order (mechanical solidarity), its now specialization and mutual dependence that led to order (organic solidarity )
