• New social movement theory argues that new social movements, such as anti-war, environmental, civil rights and feminist movements, are distinct from other traditional social movements such as labor movements. Traditional social movements tend to be engaged in class conflict while new social movements are engaged in political and social conflict. Traditional social movements tend to focus on economic concerns and inequalities.

• Members of new social movements are most often from a segment of society referred to as the new middle class. New social movement encourage-age members to engage in lifestyle changes, tend to have supporters rather than members and are characterized as loosely organized networks. These movements differ from protest groups or movements as they often desire to see change on a global scale as opposed to the single issues taken on by protest groups.

• The 'new social movements' today are what most mobilise people in pursuit of common concerns. Far more than 'classical' class movements, the social movements motivate and mobilise hundreds of millions of people in all parts of the world-mostly outside established political and social institutions that people find inadequate to serve their needs. This paper discusses the character of these social movements, their strengths and limitations.

The 'new social movements' today are what most mobilise people in pursuit of common concerns. Far more than 'classical' class movements, the social movements motivate and mobilise hundreds of millions of people in all parts of the world-mostly outside established political and social institutions that peo,le find inadequate to serve their needs. This paper discusses the character of these social movements, their strengths and limitations. THIS essay will develop the following theses:

• Social movements intersect with environmental changes, technological innovations, and other external factors to create social change. There are a myriad of catalysts that create social movements, and the reasons that people join are as varied as the participants themselves. Sociologists look at both the macro- and microanalytical reasons that social movements occur, take root, and ultimately succeed or fail.

• Social movements are purposeful, organized groups, either with the goal of pushing toward change, giving political voice to those without it, or gathering for some other common purpose.

Social Movement is a

• challenge to – authorities, power-holders, OR– cultural beliefs and practices – (NOTE: others would say “actions to promote or resist

social change”)• that is

– collective (multiple people)– organized (coordinated, at least to some degree)– sustained (lasts a while, not just one outburst) and – non-institutional (the most problematic part of a

standard definition – outside the “normal” structures or routines of society. More about this shortly.)

Nine Theses on Social Movements

Andre Gunder Frank Marta Fuentes

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• (1) The 'new' social movements are not new, even if they have some new features, and the 'classical' ones are relatively new and perhaps temporary;

(1) The 'new' social movements are not new, even if they have some new features, and the 'classical' ones are relatively new and perhaps temporary;

• (2) Social movements display much variety and changeability, but have in common individual mobilisation through a sense of morality and (in)justice and social power through social mobilisation against deprivation and for survival and identity;

• (3) The strength and importance of social movements is cyclical and related to long political-economic and (perhaps associated) ideological cycles. When the conditions that give rise to the movements change (through the action of the movements themselves and/or more usually due to changing circumstances), the movements tend to disappear.

• (4) It is important to distinguish the class composition of social movements, which are mostly middle class in the west, popular/working class in the south, and some of each in the east;

• (5) There are many different kinds of social movements. The majority seek more autonomy rather than state power, and the latter tend to negate themselves as social movements;

6) Although most social movements are more defensive than offensive and tend to be temporary, they are important (today and tomorrow perhaps the most important) agents of social transformation;

• (7) In particular, social movements appear as the agents and re-interpreters of 'delinking' from contemporary capitalism and 'transition to socialism';

(8) Some social movements are likely to overlap in membership or be more com-patible and permit coalition with others, and some are likely to conflict and com-pete with others. It may be useful to inquire into these relations;

• (9) However, since social movements, like street theatre, write their own scripts-if any-as they go along, any prescrip-tion of agendas or strategies, let alone tactics, by outsiders-not to mention intellectuals-is likely to be irrelevant at best and counterproductive at worst

Ten elements

Fundamental Elements

1. A vision and a frame

2. An authentic base in key constituencies

3. A commitment to the long-haul

10 Elements: Implementation Tools

4. An underlying and viable economic model,

5. A vision of government and governance,

6. A scaffold of solid research

7. A pragmatic policy package

10 Elements:Scale

8. A recognition of the need for scale

9. A strategy for scaling up

10. A willingness to network with other movements.

Three Key Warnings

• Don’t think you’re the social movement• Don’t be afraid of confronting power• Don’t let urgency set the agenda

Three Key Directions

• Provide operational and long-term funding to build success

• Support network to network building to sustain success

• Develop metrics of movements to 3. measure success

Choosing Sides, Choosing Theory• There is a broad tendency to use different

theories for movements we agree with and those we disagree with

• Our own movements – Respond to core principles of justice, morality and

characterized by clear thinking.– Principal focus on identifying the most effective forms

of action• Opponents

– Irrational, deluded even motivated by evil – OR cynical, hiding their true motives– Principal focus on explaining how people could think

such things, or on exposing the “true” sources of the movement

• Theories are rooted in cases and standpoints

Deprivation Theory

• argues that social movements have their

foundations among people who feel deprived of some good(s) or resource(s). According to this approach, individuals who are lacking some good, service, or comfort are more likely to organize a social movement to improve (or defend) their conditions (Morrison 1978).

Mass-Society Theory

argues that social movements are made up of individuals in large societies who feel insignificant or socially detached. Social movements, according to this theory, provide a sense of empowerment and belonging that the movement members would otherwise not have (Kornhauser 1959). In fact, the key to joining the movement was having a friend or associate who was a member of the movement.

Structural-Strain Theory

• proposes six factors that encourage social movement development (Smelser 1962):

• (a) structural conduciveness - people come to believe their society has problems

• (b) structural strain - people experience deprivation

• (c) growth and spread of a solution - a solution to the problems people are experiencing is proposed and spreads

• (d) precipitating factors - discontent usually requires a catalyst (often a specific event) to turn it into a social movement

• (e) lack of social control - the entity that is to be changed must be at least somewhat open to the change; if the social movement is quickly and powerfully repressed, it may never materialize

• (f) mobilization - this is the actual organizing and active component of the movement; people do what needs to be done

Structural-Strain Theory• (d) precipitating factors - discontent

usually requires a catalyst (often a specific event) to turn it into a social movement

• (e) lack of social control - the entity that is to be changed must be at least somewhat open to the change; if the social movement is quickly and powerfully repressed, it may never materialize

• (f) mobilization - this is the actual organizing and active component of the movement; people do what needs to be done

Resource-Mobilization Theory

• emphasizes the importance of resources in social movement development and success. Resources are understood here to include: knowledge, money, media, labor, solidarity, legitimacy, and internal and external support from power elite. The theory argues that social movements develop when individuals with grievances are able to mobilize sufficient resources to take action.

Political Process Theory

• is similar to resource mobilization in many regards, but tends to emphasize a different component of social structure that is important for social movement development: political opportunities. Political process theory argues that there are three vital components for movement formation: insurgent consciousness, organizational strength, and political opportunities.

Collective Behaviour / Collective Action Theories (1950s)

• Since most of the action taken by on or behalf of groups of individual is taken through organizations, it will be helpful to consider organization in a general or theoretical way. The logical place to begin any systematic study of organization is their purpose as some organization may fail to fulfill the interest of members and other may be enticed into serving only the ends of the leadership. But organizations perish if they fail to fulfill the interest of their members.

Relative Deprivation Theory (1960s)

• The doctrine of relative deprivation sustained by American scholars (Gurr 1970) has led some projects on agitation and mass movements. Relative deprivation is described as player‟s recognition of inconsistency between their value desires and their environment‟s manifest value potentialities. Value prospects are the goods and conditions of life to which people suppose they are fairly entitled.

Value-Added Theory (1960s)• The value-added theory of collective

behaviour determines whether or not collective behavior will occur. The theory argues that a specific combination of determinants facilitates and promotes collective outcomes and behaviors. The determinants of collective behavior form a value-added process. Value-added processes, refer to processes in which additional value is created at a particular stage of development

Frame Analysis Theory (1960s)

• Social movement framing theory attempts to understand the way in which social movements and social movement actors create and use meaning, or how events and ideas are framed. This meaning work has become a keyway in which social movements are understood and analyzed.

• Culture Theory Culture theory builds upon both the political process and resource-mobilization theories. It emphasizes the importance of movement culture.

Aberle’s typesTotal Change Partial Change

Individual Change

Redemptive (religious sects)

Alterative (personal improvement)

Social Change Transformative (revolutionary, millennial)

Reformative (specific issues)