Social Movements

Question 1

Three Factors to Generate Insurgency

Answer 1

McAdams, Political Process Theory

Structure of political opportunities
- Political pluralism, decline in repression, division within elites

Organizational strength
- Members, communication network, leaders, solidarity incentives

Cognitive liberation

• Transformation of consciousness – the system loses legitimacy, people who previously believed the system could not change assert rights and demand change, people believe they can alter their conditions
• Requires groups of people and a connection with other people, in addition to a minimum number of people
• Interpersonal links lead to the transformation of consciousness as you are not isolated so you are able to see things as system issues not personal problems as they occur across connections

Question 2

Sustaining Movements - Political Process Theory

Answer 2

What is needed to sustain a movement:

• original requirements
• enduring organizational structure
• formal and centralized direction
• resources for organization

Obstacles and risks

• formal organizing may foster an environment that supports the structure over the goals (may supplant leadership from marginalized groups)
• movement may be coopted, especially if relying on outside funding

Question 3

Classical Approaches to Social Mobilization

Answer 3

Structural Strain (i.e. unemployment, industrialization)

Reaction is irrational, potential harmful

Result is political participation or mob behavior

Question 4

Elite Theory of Social Mobilization

Answer 4

America has Elite and excluded groups, with resources and power in the hands of the elite:

“social movements are seen … as rational attempts by excluded groups to mobilize sufficient political leverage to advance collective interests through noninstitutionalized means” (36-37).

Excluded groups are powerless and have little chance of success (37).

Question 5

Marxist Theory of Social Movement

Answer 5

Under Marxist theory, “accession of power by the masses” is inevitable.”

The masses have “structural power” – the “ability to disrupt” relationships and systems.

The Elite have power, but the masses have structural power and ability to disrupt.

Cognitive Liberation

subjective transformation of consciousness is critical to the movement

Question 6

Resource Mobilization Theory

Answer 6

Under this theory, some members of the elite are willing sponsors of social change (as opposed to elite position in political process theory)

Question 7

New Social Movements

Answer 7

Johnson

Old social movements
- Centered class and ideology

New social movements
- Center threats to identity (individual, collective, public)

Continuity – people who were a part of a former movement tend ot be instigators of a new one