Fundamentals of Political Science - October 21, 2022

Defining Revolutions and Movements I (cont.)

On the nature of revolution

● Reform movements attempt to change the limited aspects of society but do not aim at
drastically altering or replacing major social, economic, or political institutions.
● Revolutionary movements are social movements in which participants are striving to
drastically alter or totally replace existing social, economic, or political institutions
through a wider variety of means.

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Fundamentals of Political Science - October 21, 2022

Defining Revolutions and Movements II: Contentious Politics

Defining contentious politics

● Tilly & Tarrow, 2015: Involves the interactions among the following
○ The actors making claims bearing on other’s interests; leading to
○ The coordinated efforts on behalf of shared interests or programs; in which
○ Governments are involved as targets, initiators of claims, or third parties.
● Brings together three familiar features of social life: contention, collective action, and
politics.
● Claims are a point that can lead to contention if there are two or more competing claims.
(e.g. multiple solutions that are provided for a particular problem; there is never one
solution)
○ Can be strong enough to exclude any other contenders, if not completely stamp
down on them.
○ Contention can still exist in authoritarian states as a consequence of this, albeit a
bit more restricted and bland.
● Therefore, social movements involve the following characteristics:
○ Sustained campaigns of claim-making;
○ An array of public performances in which include;
○ Repeated public displays of worthiness, unity, numbers, and commitment (i.e.,
changing of profile photo frames)
○ Mobilizing the organizations, networks, traditions, and solidarities that sustain
these activities–social movement bases. (i.e., strikes)
■ They do not occur in vacuums, they build upon what exists. They are
manifestations of existent solidarities.

Key points of contentious politics

● The government is not only a target but an active entity that shapes the trajectory of
contentious politics by shaping the opportunities or constraints facing non-gov’t actors
○ Provides the legal and functional parameters for contention, the ability for people
to express such competing claims in public.
 ○ Has the capacity to subvert opportunities or situations in which contention can
occur.
● Non-government actors can also have competing claims, hence, engage in
contentious politics vis-a-vis the response and activities of the government.

Opportunities v. constraints
● Political opportunities are the dimensions of the political struggle that encourage
people to engage in contentious politics.
○ Legality, participation, framing, etc.
○ If you can convince people that this is the only solution to a problem, that is a
segway to contentious politics.
○ Social movement mobilizers can increase opportunities if their ability to
mobilize resources increases, proposing the expansion of engagement is
widespread, or if they are mobilizing monetary resources monetary or temporal
means.
● Political constraints are the factors like repression, but also the authorities’ capacity to
present a solid front to insurgents that discourage contention.
○ Ranges from repression but also the lifestyle of citizens (i.e., if they have little
time and resources to spare or allot, they won’t unless their life is at stake or they
are given no other option).
○ Can include cultural, psychopolitical, and ethnic spheres of influence.
● Both are the external groups involved, however, they are still contributory to the process
of contentious politics.
● Changes in the contours of the political environment or arena → Changes in political
opportunities and constraints.
○ Calculating or measuring the opportunity structures involves analyzing the
activities of those who are involved in the process of contentious politics.