Social Movements Midterm

Start Studying!

Terms

undefined, object

copy deck

Basic Social Movement Model: Social disorganization-->individual frustration-->aggression/extermism
Mass Society Theory: Social Breakdown-->individual alienation-->extermism
-lose sight of "proper" actions
-immediate/direct response
Relative Deprivation Theories: Perception of RD-->Discontent-->Violence
Criticisms of Traditional Theories: -Assume uniformity of action in response to stimuli
-most alienated least likely to get involved
Resource Movilization Theory: Post WWII Social Movements:
Not due to rise in discontent, but rise of available resources
RM Theory: "Structural Facilitators": -increasing affluene, pool of student activisits, pro./managerial jobs/instit. funding
"Free Rider Problem": -assumption of RM theory
-Individuals won't act togeter for the common good
Public good: Any good, such that if one pesron in the group consumes it, it cannot be withheld from others (clean air, equality, education)
Selective Incentives: -Individual, non-divisible goods
-can't get unless you join in
-(Sanctions, rewards)
Core Assumptions of RM Theory: Rationality
Exernal Support
Organization
Professional SMOS: -Run by professional staff and leaders
-small/nonexistent membership base
-resources from elite groups
-professional entrepreneurs define, create and manipulate grievances
-Ex. Siera Club, NOW, Planned Parenthood
Criticisms of RM Theory: -over-emphasis on external support
-under-emphasis on power/ablity of mass base
-optimistic view of political organization (Iron Law)
Iron Law of Oligarchy: Thesis: Natural tendency for organizations to develop oligarchical leadersip and conservative goals

Logic:
1. Distance between staff and members-->leaders can follow own interests
2. Concern with organizational survival leads to conservative goals and tactics
Civil Rights Movement: Political Opportunity Structure: -decreased power of Southern elites
-relaxatioin of social control in South
-Increased political influence in North
-Cold War Politics
-Communists cite racism in US as fault of Capitalism
-Urbanization: development of key community institutions
Civil Rights: Cognitive Liberation: -Improved political conditions, community institutions
-"The system" loses legitimacy
-assertion of "rights"
-new sense of efficacy
Civil Rights Local Movement Centers: -ministers/churches
-direct action organizations
-grassroots financing
-weekly mass meetings
-nonviolent direct action
The Sit-In Movement: -1960
-Key to rapid spread: Church-student networds
-student leadership
-concentration of black colleges
-mobilization via churches/local movement centers
Traditionalists V. Black Power: NAACP&SCLC VS. CORE&SNCC
-as tactics of mvt. groups become more radical, elite organizations (NAACP, etc.) seen as only legitimate organizations-->outside support, funding of these more traditional groups
"Radical Flank" Effect: Funding channeled towards more moderate oganizations

-resources to less threatening mvt. groups
"Violence Thesis": Media exposes police, natl. guard violence towards black protesters-->public willingness to intervene

*Idea that protesters intentionally provoke violence to manipulate this dynamic
Birmingham Campaign (1963) Violence Thesis vs. Strategic Disruption: -Extensive planning: use of economic/consumer power, plan for extended confrontation
-Peaceful boycott-->more disruptive activities (picketing, etc.)
-Media attn. will provoke violence and sympathy
-build "social drama" that can't be ignored by local power structure or media
Role of 3rd Parties in Civil Rights Movement: 1. Media: coverage once mvt. generates social disorder
2. Fed Govt: Intervenes in negotiating process

**Only help movement in response to social disorder caused by movement
Cycles of protest: Periods of generalized disorder and heightened conflict across the social system
Components of cycles of protest: Rapid diffusion of collective action
-participants people who are not usually thought of as likely to protest
-Different sectors of society
Basic Thesis: Cycles of protest: Political changes position "early risers" to take advantage of new opportunities
"Demonstration Effect": -successful protest signals vulnerability and responsiveness of authorities/allies
-successful protest broadcasts effecive forms of collective action
Cultural Diffusion and adaptation: -"Early risers" provoke breakdown in political system
-"Early risers" generate cultural or cognitive signals
1966-1970 Decline of Insurgency: 1. Protest to politics
2. Northern Strategy and Black Power
3. Backlash and Repression
Civil Rights Act of 1964: -LBJ
-Racial discrimination in public places illegal
-Equal employment opportunities
-No racial discrimination in federally-funded projects
-Uniform standards for voting rights
- Allows for prosecution of specific states that limit voting rights
Voting Rights Act of 1965: -Fed. Govt. can oversee voter registration and elections
-Fed. govt. can register voters refused by states
-No literacy tests; expanded rights for non-English speaking Americans
*Many feel goals have been met
Black Power/Naitonalism: -black self sufficiency, separatism
-Mass unrest, riots, guerilla activity
-Violence legitimized as tactic
Black Panther Party (1966): Initial goal: Patrol neighborhoods, watch police treatment of blacks
-develop strong black-controlled institutions
-education ctrs, food dist.
-work with white activists
Black Panter Protest that helps gain attention: Law against carrying weapons in public-->seen as suppression of black power
-Protest-->media coverage
Backlash and Repression: -Attempts to infiltrate/sabotage riots

-Panthers blamed for riots

-Govt. Repression: raids, murders, arrests
Political Opportunity Structure: Black Power: -Access to participation
-Unstable political/electoral alignments
-Influential allies
-Conflicts among elites
Initiator Movements vs. Other movements: Initiator: depend on POS
Other Mvts: take advantage of opportunities opened up by initiator movements

*Diffusion
Hegemony: -Ruling class domination through ideology, through shaping of popular consent
-engineering of mass consent to the established order
-Those who rule dominant institutions secure power through active social control and by impressing their definitions of the situation onto other people
SDS leaders: -Leaderless
-No media certification of celebrity leader
End of SDS: -Radical flank
Protest Cycle Theory--Women's Movement: Spin off of Civil Rights Movement
-blacks open door for protest
-Wmn view as own civil rts mvt
Women's Mvt: link to history: Continuation of earlier struggle--suffrage
National Women's Party: -Picket outside white house
-parades
-vigils
-hunger strikes
Post-Suffrage ideas of women: Will vote as coherent bloc--women use as coherent vote
-this doesn't happen
ERA: -1923
-Equality of rights under law
-women as offering something new v. women being equal to men
-Not ratified
Abeyance Structure: Organizational pattern characterized by high LONGEVITY of attachment; intense levels of individual COMMITMENT to movement goals and tactics; igh CENTRALIZATION thatn ensures a relatively advanced level of specialized skills among core acivist; and a rich political CULTURE that promotes continued involvement in the movement"
Goals of Women's Movement: ERA--lobbying, letter writing
NWP demographics: upper middle class white women
Constraints of women's movement: Upper middle class white women

Taylor:

Had organization been more diverse, women's mvt. that followed in 1960s would have been more diverse
Effects of careers on women in social movements: Work outside home-->structurally available for mvt. recruitment

Skills, contacts, etc. to help with organization of movements
Women: Change in Consciousness: -Rejection of biological explanations for women's roles
-inherent gender equality
-recognition of gender discrimination

*Makes women available for movements: Majority accept idea of women having new societal role
"Cooptable Network": Network of like-minded people whose background, experiences, location in social structure make them receptive to new ideas of incipient movement--Freeman
Women's Movement as "political insider": Movement develops outside political system-->organization, etc.-->becomes part of political system
Feminist action: 1980s: organizational dissolution
-few struggling local groups, handful natl. orgs.
-no grassroots
-Reagan anti-fem
-New Right
-Feminist action at local level (mvt. not dead)
Collective Identity: Shared definition of a group that derives from members' common interests, experiences and solidarity

*Wmns Mvt: continued vitality of collective identity; continuity
Older Branch of Feminism: Liberal Feminism

-reform through political advocacy, interest groups
-Formal SMOS
-Personal liberty, individual rights, equality
-REFORM
-Civil Rights Movement as inspiration
-still considered radical
Younger Branch of Feminism: -Radical/militant
-Smaller, decentralized organizations
-build fem. comm. at local level
-some separatists

Start Studying!

Deck Info

Number of cards 56