SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of
individuals or organizations which focus on specific political or social issues. Some
characteristics of social movements are that they are “involved in conflictual relations
with clearly identified opponents; are linked by dense informal networksshare a
distinct collective identity”. Social movements, then, can be thought of as organized
yet informal social entities that are engaged in extra-institutional conflict that is
oriented towards a goal. These goals can be either aimed at a specific and narrow
policy or be more broadly aimed at cultural change.

FOUR STAGES OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

1. Emergence
2. Coalescence
3. Bureaucratization
4. Decline

Emergence

The first stage of the social movement life cycle is known as the emergence. Within
this stage, social movements are very preliminary and there is little to no
organization. Potential movement participants may be unhappy with some policy or
some social condition, but they have not taken any action in order to redress their
grievances, or if they have it is most likely individual action rather than collective
action. A person may comment to friends and family that he or she is dissatisfied
with conditions or may write a letter to the local newspaper or representative, but
these actions are not strategic and not collective. Further, there may be an increase
in media coverage of negative conditions or unpopular policies which contributes to
the general sense of discontent.

Coalescence

At this next stage in the life cycle, social movements have overcome some obstacles
which many never overcome. This is the stage when individuals participating in the
mass behaviour of the preceding stage become aware of each other.

At this point leadership emerges and strategies for success are worked out. Also, at
this stage mass demonstrations may occur in order to display the social movement’s
power and to make clear demands.

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Bureaucratization

In this stage, social movements have had some success in that they have raised
awareness to a degree that a coordinated strategy is necessary across all of the
SMOs. Similarly, SMOs will come to rely on staff persons with specialized knowledge
that can run the day-to-day operations of the organization and carry out movement
goals. Social movements in this stage can no longer just rely on mass rallies or
inspirational leaders to progress towards their goals and build constituencies; they
must rely on trained staff to carry out the functions of organizations. In this phase
their political power is greater than in the previous stages in that they may have more
regular access to political elites.

Decline

Finally, the last stage in the social movement life cycle is decline, or
“institutionalization.” Decline does not necessarily mean failure for social movements
though. Instead, Miller (1999) argues, there are four ways in which social
movements can decline.

 Repression
 Co-optation
 Success
 Failure

Types of social movements:

1. Alternative
2. Redemptive
3. Reformative
4. Transformative

1. Alternative social movements:

It aims to achieve some limited but specific change in individuals. Their participants
view human beings as essentially good, but they believe that character flaws or
societal pressures can lead people astray. When members of a women Christian
temperance union sought to teach people about the evils of alcohol and discourage
them from drinking, they were engaged in an alternative movement.

2. Redemptive movements:

It is also focus on the individual, but they seek total, not partial, change. Participants
believe that people must be converted to an entirely different inner state. Most
redemptive movements are religious. For example, according to the members of the

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evangelical Christian movement, human are racked with sin and able to redeem
themselves only by accepting the teachings of Christ.

3. Reformative movements:

It differs from both alternative and redemptive movements in that they seek change
in society rather than in individuals. Their aim is partial change only since they view
the present social order as basically workable. But their members are dissatisfied
with policies in one or more areas of social life. Civil right movements of various
kinds are the examples of reformative movements.

4. Transformative movements:

Moderate change is not the goal of reformative movements, which aims at total
change in social order. These are the true revolutions. The Bolshevik movement in
Russia in the early twentieth century is one example. It follows sought a complete
overthrow of the traditional ruling class.

Social movement theories

Sociologists have developed several theories related to social movements. Some of

the theories.

Deprivation theory

Deprivation theory argues that social movements have their foundations among
people who feel deprived of some good or resource. According to this approach,
individuals who are lacking some good, service, or comfort are more likely to
organize a social movement to improve their conditions.

Resource mobilization theory

Resource mobilization theory emphasizes the importance of resources in social

movement development and success. Resources are understood here to include:
knowledge, money, media, labour, solidarity, legitimacy, and internal and external
support from power elite. The theory argues that social movements develop when
individuals with grievances are able to mobilize sufficient resources to take action.
The emphasis on resources offers an explanation why some discontented/deprived
individuals are able to organize while others are not.

EXAMPLES

ANTI-NUCLEAR MOVEMENT

The anti-nuclear movement is a social movement that opposes various nuclear

technologies. Some direct action groups, environmental groups, and
professionalorganisations have identified themselves with the movement at the local,
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national, and international level. Major anti-nuclear groups include Campaign for
Nuclear Disarmament, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, International Physicians
for the Prevention of Nuclear War, and the Nuclear Information and Resource
Service. The initial objective of the movement was nuclear disarmament, though
some of the focus has shifted to include opposition to the use of nuclear power.

 A protest against nuclear power occurred in July 1977 in Bilbao, Spain, with
up to 200,000 people in attendance
 Following the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, an anti-nuclear protest was
held in New York City, involving 200,000 people
 In 1981, Germany's largest anti-nuclear power demonstration took place to
protest against the Brokdorf Nuclear Power Plant west of Hamburg; some
100,000 people came face to face with 10,000 police officers.
 The largest anti-nuclear protest was held on June 12, 1982, when one million
people demonstrated in New York City against nuclear weapons

WOMEN'S LIBERATION MOVEMENT

 The Women's Liberation Movement was a feminist political movement which

developed in the 1960s and 1970s, and was one important strand in Second-
Wave Feminism. The term 'women's liberation' was coined in the early 1960s,
when the word liberation was becoming popular.
 the first Women's Liberation Conference in Britain took place in 1970, at
Ruskin College. Publications such as Spare Rib and off our backs were
founded in the 1970s.
 the European Union invited editors from the four leading WLM magazines in
to a debate on women's rights in the European Parliament in Luxembourg;
and the number of women's initiatives in the late 1970s has still to be
documented
 the 1970s were a crucial time for significant changes in attitudes to women in
Western societies

INDIA AGAINST CORRUPTION

India against Corruption (IAC) is a collective People's Movement whose aim is "to
ensure a corruption free India" by enacting the Jan Local Bill. The movement is
apolitical, but has resulted in the evolution of a political party, the AamAadmi Party.

IAC's objective was the enactment of Jan Local Bill which was drafted seeking
continuous suggestions and revision from public forum, the latest version being Jan
Lokpal Bill version 2.3. The bill includes the recommendation to create an
independent body

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