Politics, Social Movements, Social Change Flashcards
(15 cards)
What are politics?
The ability of people, or groups, to gain access to government and use its power to influence society
What is a state?
A particular organization that monopolizes the legitimate means of coercion
Getting people to do things, whether or not they want to do it
What is formal policy?
Laws (rules of behavior)
Services that governments provide for people
What is informal policy?
Unofficial and part of the unwritten culture of the state
Services that governments provide for people
What are democracies?
Allow people opportunities to vote for leaders and policies
The electorate can be expanded and contracted to affect the power of different groups
Access to the state can change over time. This reflects the ability of a group to defend and assert its interests.
What is the median voter theory?
Assumes that policy tends to reflect the views of the median voter
What is the elite theory?
Proposes that policies are more likely to be adopted by states if economic and social elites support them
What is the pluralism theory?
Argues that policy emerges from the bottom up out of the push and pull between organized interest groups
What is collective action?
The coordinated activities of members of groups with shared goals
What are repertoires of contention?
Shared activities are widely recognized as expressions of dissatisfaction with social conditions
Eg, sit-ins, boycotts, strikes, vigils, petitions
What are social movements?
Persistent and organized collective action meant to promote or oppose social change
What do activists need to build a social movement?
Collectively define the state of affairs and grow an insurgent consciousness
Overcome the collective action problem
Overcome the mechanisms of social control
How do you define the state of affairs and grow an insurgent consciousness?
Define a state of affairs as harmful, and then convince the public that the harm requires a cultural or institutional solution
Grow an insurgent
consciousness: a recognition of a shared grievance that can be addressed through collective action
How do overcome the collective action problem?
The challenge of getting large groups of people to act in coordinated ways
It can help to have leadership, mechanisms of communication, resources, and inspiration
Ex. Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King
How do you overcome the mechanisms of social control?
Elites can impose consequences on those who refuse to cooperate with social rules
Stigma, imprisonment, getting mobbed, facing fines
