Sociology Midterm 09
Terms
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- Co-optable
- Composed of like-minded people whose backgrounds, experiences, or location in the social structure make them receptive to the ideas of a specific new movement
- Social Network
- The web of social ties that connects individuals and organizations to others. An individual's network typically includes friends, neighbors, and co-workers. One's ideas and attitudes are typically strongly reinforced by one's social network and recruitment to movements often occurs through network ties. Movements are often built on pre-existing networks, although they also bring together previously unconnected networks and organizations.
- Brokers
- The individuals who bring different social networks together in a social movement.
- Reform/Women's Rights Movement
- Older branch of the women's movement (began first, median age of members is older). Contains numerous organizations including lobbyist groups, a legal foundation, caucuses, etc. Activities tend to be concentrated on legal and economic problems. Primarily made up of working men and women, and therefore concerned with women's professional issues. Traditional formal democratic hierarchy (elected officers, boards, etc.). Top down national organization, some still lacking a mass base.
- Radical/Women's Liberation Movement
- Younger in terms of member age and length of movement existence. Pride themselves on lack of organization. Made up of many small groups. Many came from the New Left or civil rights organizations. Communication is haphazard and coordination almost non-existent. Different chapters linked by underground papers/journals. General policy of 'structurelessness'.
- Reform Movement/Radical Movement Differences
- Radical movement has been unable to diversify because the lack of structure makes it easier for an individual to found a new small group along friendship networks. Reform movement is structured while radical movement is not because of the difference in types of education of their members (older generation had traditional education while younger had more person-oriented attitude of student movements). Older branch was skilled in utilizing the media and forming national structures while the younger branch was skilled in community organizing. Crisis for the older branch was EEOC's refusal to enforce the sex provision of Title VII. For Radicals, there were a series of minor crises. Many leaders no organizers in the old as opposed to many organizers no leaders in the young.
- Reform Movement/Radical Movement Similarities
- Both predominantly white, middle-class, college-educated.
- President's Commission on the Status of Women
- Created by President Kennedy in 1961. Made reports detailing how women were still denied many rights and opportunities which led to the creation of 50 state commissions to research the status of women. These groups facilitated the women's movement by 1.) Bringing together educated, politically active women 2.) Revealed gender inequities that spurred many women to action 3.) Created a climate of expectations that something would be done about the highlighted problems 4.) Commission members kept in contact with one another creating a network of similarly-concerned women
- The Feminine Mystique
- Written by Betty Friedan in 1963. Stimulated many women to challenge the status quo.
- 1964 Civil Rights Act
- Addition of "sex" to Title VII was not adequately enforced by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission garnering them disdain from women in government.
- NOW (National Organization for Women)
- Formed in 1966 in response to the vetoing of a resolution that would have forced the EEOC to enforce its Title VII provisions. What the early members had was media expertise and that was the area their early efforts targeted. Successful in getting publicity but not in bringing about concrete changes or organizing itself.
- Factors Contributing to Emergence of Women's Liberation Movement
- 1.) the growth of a preexisting communications network which was 2.) co-optable to the ideas of the new movement; 3.) a series of crises that galvanized into action people involved in this network, and/or 4.) subsequent organizing effort to weld the spontaneous groups together into a movement