PS 320 Politics of Social Movements
Professor Margot Bowlby
July 22, 2005
Politics of Social Movements
There are several processes involved in the making of a social movement or a revolution. In this essay, I will explore how individuals initially get involved in a collective action. Next I will examine why this is so difficult, given common interests. Third, I will discuss the role of organizations in relation to social and political movements. Fourth, I will determine what methods are most effective for bringing about social change. Finally, I will conclude with what determines whether protests are aimed at reforming the existing system, or its replacement through revolution.
People are able to act collectively to advance their interests when they decide to get involved for a greater cause than themselves. People are able to act collectively to advance their interests by first being motivated to a cause by having similar ideologies. They have their own individual identity and then form a collective identity with those around them rallying for the same cause. These people have the same interests. Maybe they met someone who inspired them and they join a group of like interested people with the same values and goals, helping them to acquire a political consciousness. Or maybe the media or internet played an important role in recruiting them to a cause. They find meeting places at restaurants or online, and begin to establish an organization and possibly come up with an acronym which best reflects their goal. Or maybe an individual seeks a group with similar values to join. They decide they can not accomplish their goals alone, so they join a movement, hoping that together they can accomplish more than they would alone.
Next, they must mobilize their resources. Acting collectively takes time and money. An individual may decide to support a movement because it best reflects his or her interests. If the group is strong and united, they will be able to act collectively, advancing the interests of all involved.
Social networks are important for recruiting people and enticing them into political action. Personal costs may deter an individual from joining a movement because the action may be too risky. Opportunity plays an important role in determining whether an individual will participate in a movement, even when there are common interests, because it requires organization and a political climate that is open to change.
Everyone will always have different ideas about how to go about advancing their interests in the most beneficial fashion. Even though people have a collective interest, individuals all have different ideas about how to get there, which will create conflict, even in the most tight knit group. If issues can't be resolved, groups may splinter or end completely. Acting collectively takes time, money, patience, motivation, or resource mobilization. The common interest may be there, but in order for a group to reach its goal, resources must be mobilized in order to achieve this goal. Planning and structure are important. Finally, there may be other pre existing groups who were there first, and this causes rivalry. The pre existing group may be a threat to the newer group because they have a larger resource pool, intimidating the newer group. There may be rivalry within the group itself as well, preventing the group from getting off the ground.
Organizations usually sustain social movements and political movements. Organizations are generally created after the initial social or political movement. Organizations may compete with other like minded organizations for the largest resource pool. Organizations raise money and keep the theme of the social movement alive, in order for the group to continuously reap the rewards for which they worked so hard to attain. There may be intra organizational disagreements as well as inter organizational ones. Organizations working within the same social movement may compete with each other, and likewise, members of one organization may disagree with each other on how to best achieve their goal. Organizations within the same social movement may eventually learn how to work together toward the ultimate goal the social movement itself is working towards. Similarly, members of one organization may also be members of another organization in the same social movement. Organizations may develop relationships with each other, leaving behind differences in order to attain the goal at hand.
Methods most effective for bringing about social change are mobilizing resources once a common goal and ideology is established. In addition, mobilizing the largest amount of people is always beneficial to a cause.
Framing strategies are effective, particularly framing strategies that appeal to the oppressor as well as the oppressed. Martin Luther King was able to accomplish this.
Another important method most effective for bringing about social change is agreeing on a method best suitable for bringing about social change. Will the method be violent or non violent? Will the method be aggressive or passive? Both Gandhi and Martin Luther King chose non violent methods and they both worked in achieving their specific goal.
How well does this method sit with the public? Grievances also play an important role in determining whether the public will be receptive to the cause. Gurr, Turner and Killian, and Smelser all agree that shared grievances and generalized beliefs about the causes and possible means of reducing grievances are important preconditions for the emergence of a social movement in a collectivity, because it is critically important that individuals and organizations outside the collectivity of a social movement are involved.
Other methods most effective for bringing about social change is for activists to combine people's experiential knowledge with public discourse. "The nature of media discourse influences the construction of collective action frames by social movements" (Gamson, p. 229).
In the end, numbers is one factor that determines whether protests are aimed at reforming the existing system, or its replacement through revolution. How many people want change and how will they go about this? If there is an extraordinary population that wants to bring about drastic changes in a society, the makings of a revolution may be there. If the numbers are insignificant, this change may take the form of a small movement existing to reform a current system.
Reasons for wanting change stem from people feeling disenfranchised or suppressed. The longer a group has felt both disenfranchised and suppressed, the more likely a revolutionary occurrence because it has been building up for some time. For example, class exploitation was evident during the Industrial Age and produced revolutionary social movement activity.
It is also important to note change depends on the relationship between the ones promoting change and the ones resisting change. If the people resisting change are unwilling to budge, a revolution may occur from the people promoting change. Is the change they are attempting to promote colossal in that it cuts through the heart of the existing system? Or is it just one part of the system the protestors are trying to reform? Both of these factors also help determine whether an existing system will be overthrown through revolution, or whether the system will simply be reformed.
How mobilized is the group wanting the change? If they are vigilant, strong, determined, and have the resources to bring about change, chances are they will succeed. If they are unorganized and divided, they will most likely fail in their attempts. If you try to break one toothpick, it will easily break. However, hold ten and try to snap them and it is more difficult. Likewise, if the current system tries to break a pool larger than they can handle, they will most likely fail and will be overthrown through revolution.
In both reform and revolution, the oppressed first develop an image of a state of affairs which is possible to attain. Next, they develop the belief that they are entitled to it. Third, they are not enjoying this state of affairs. They therefore want to alter the environment in which they live. These are the seeds for reform and revolution.
In conclusion, people are able to act collectively to advance their interests when they find a common ideology and make the decision to get involved. Given common interests, this is difficult to do because different people have different ideas about how best to achieve their goals and because resources must be mobilized. Organizations play a unique role in social and political movements because they sustain the initial social movement and compete with each other as well as cooperate in order to achieve their goal. Methods most effective for bringing about social change are mobilizing resources, acquiring a significant number of members, framing strategies, grievances, and experiential knowledge. Finally, the number of people wanting change is significant in determining whether protests are aimed at reforming the existing system, or its replacement through revolution, but the most important factor is most likely how suppressed and/or disenfranchised the group feels upon entering into a collective action, and the amount of time they have been feeling disenfranchised or suppressed.
Works Cited
Gamson, William. "Constructing Social Protest." Social Movements. Steven M. Buechler. Mayfield Publishing Co., 1997. 229
Buechler, Steven M. Social Movements. Mayfield Publishing Co., 1997