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Research Proposal

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Should protestors be considered deviant if some groups within society tolerate or

even support their actions? How do agents of social control, such as the government, the

police, and the media, shape society’s responses and attitudes towards protestors? Consider

these perceptions of protestors as deviants by examining the protest movement:

Protesters should not be classified as deviant by some groups in society, as tolerant

sociologists know that norms and standards are socially constructed, not only ethically chosen or

imposed. The impact of social control on political demonstrators is significant, yet it has been

largely ignored. If control is seen as a response to violation, actors in the movement may be

distinguished from those they are attempting to influence (Sandyarani, 2022). Members of the

social control apparatus, protesters, and the controlled form a triangle. Societal control impacts

people's perspectives, movements' aims and strategies, and organizational frameworks.

Thesis Statement: Protesters are anti-heroes because they provoke violence by going

against the majority sentiment (Bryant, 2019). Some countries have banned it because of the

harm it causes. The mass population's tolerance of illegal activity is a source of frustration for the

protesters.

Finally, I want to stress the significance of people's shared views and the symbolic nature

of social control. Society's reactions and perspectives on demonstrators are influenced by the

government, the police, and the media (Sandyarani, 2022). Communication via mass media has a

wide scope. Media such as broadcasting, advertising, filmmaking, the World Wide Web, print

publications, and electronic media all count.

The supporting reasons of evidence are:

 Conservatives might consider nonconformists who frequently support social

reform and justice. (King, 2022).

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 On the other hand, the coup and subsequent suppression of the Spring Revolution

forged a lasting, widespread solidarity in favor of the deposed civilian

administration (United Nations, 2023).

 The international community has spoken out against the Burmese military for

their role in atrocities against the civilian population (Wolf & Zuckerman, 2012).
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References

Sandyarani, U. (2022). Are Pious Protesters Powerful?: A quantitative analysis assessing the

effect of religious support on the success of unarmed civil resistance campaigns.

Bryant, K. (2019). Policing communities of color: An historical examination of social control

and protest management strategies. In Political Authority, Social Control and Public

Policy (Vol. 31, pp. 43-61). Emerald Publishing Limited.

Wolf, B., & Zuckerman, P. (2012). Deviant Heroes: Nonconformists as Agents of Justice

and Social Change. Deviant Behavior, 33(8), 639-654.

United Nations. (2023, Jan 31). Myanmar: ‘Appalling’ violations demand ‘unified and resolute

international response.’ Retrieved from United Nations:

https://news.un.org/en/story/2022/03/1113972

King, A. S. (2022, June 27). Myanmar’s Coup d’état and the Struggle for Federal Democracy

and Inclusive Government. Religions, 13(7), 594.