Social movement

Not to be confused with Social mobility.
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A social movement is a loosely organized effort by a large group of people to achieve a particular goal, typically a social or political one.[1][2] This may be to carry out a social change, or to resist or undo one. It is a type of group action and may involve individuals, organizations, or both.[3] Social movements have been described as "organizational structures and strategies that may empower oppressed populations to mount effective challenges and resist the more powerful and advantaged elites".[4] They represent a method of social change from the bottom within nations.[4] On the other hand, some social movements do not aim to make society more egalitarian, but to maintain or amplify existing power relationships. For example, scholars have described fascism as a social movement.[5]

Political science and sociology have developed a variety of theories and empirical research on social movements.[6] For example, some research in political science highlights the relation between popular movements and the formation of new political parties[7] as well as discussing the function of social movements in relation to agenda setting and influence on politics.[8] Sociologists distinguish between several types of social movement examining things such as scope, type of change, method of work, range, and time frame.[9]

Some scholars have argued that modern Western social movements became possible through education (the wider dissemination of literature) and increased mobility of labor due to the industrialization and urbanization of 19th-century societies.[10] It is sometimes argued that the freedom of expression, education and relative economic independence prevalent in the modern Western culture are responsible for the unprecedented number and scope of various contemporary social movements. Many of the social movements of the last hundred years grew up, like the Mau Mau in Kenya, to oppose Western colonialism. Social movements have been and continue to be closely connected with democratic political systems. Occasionally, social movements have been involved in democratizing nations, but more often they have flourished after democratization. Over the past 200 years, they have become part of a popular and global expression of dissent.[11]

Modern movements often use technology and the internet to mobilize people globally. Adapting to communication trends is a common theme among successful movements.[12] Research is beginning to explore how advocacy organizations linked to social movements in the U.S.[12] and Canada[13] use social media to facilitate civic engagement and collective action.[14]

  1. ^ Scott, John; Marshall, Gordon (2009), "Social movements", A Dictionary of Sociology, Oxford University Press, doi:10.1093/acref/9780199533008.001.0001, ISBN 978-0-19-953300-8, retrieved 2020-03-06
  2. ^ "social movement | Definition of social movement by Webster's Online Dictionary". www.webster-dictionary.org. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  3. ^ Opp, Karl-Dieter (2009-04-08). Theories of Political Protest and Social Movements: A Multidisciplinary Introduction, Critique, and Synthesis. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-01439-2.
  4. ^ a b Deric., Shannon (2011-01-01). Political sociology : oppression, resistance, and the state. Pine Forge Press. p. 150. ISBN 9781412980401. OCLC 746832550.
  5. ^ Berger, Stefan; Nehring, Holger. "The History of Social Movements in Global Perspective" (PDF). ndl.ethernet.edu.et.
  6. ^ Adams, Natasha (2024-04-08). "How to Map a Movement". The Commons Social Change Library. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  7. ^ Pugh, Jeff (2008). "Vectors of Contestation: Social Movements and Party Systems in Ecuador and Colombia". Latin American Essays. XXI: 46–65.
  8. ^ de, Leon, Cedric (31 December 2013). Party & society : reconstructing a sociology of democratic party politics. Wiley. ISBN 9780745653686. OCLC 856053908.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Commons Librarian (2023-12-12). "What is a Social Movement? Social Movement Definitions". The Commons Social Change Library. Retrieved 2024-04-19.
  10. ^ Weinberg, 2013
  11. ^ Tilly, 2004
  12. ^ a b Obar, Jonathan; et al. (2012). "Advocacy 2.0: An Analysis of How Advocacy Groups in the United States Perceive and Use Social Media as Tools for Facilitating Civic Engagement and Collective Action". Journal of Information Policy. 2: 1–25. doi:10.5325/jinfopoli.2.2012.1. S2CID 246628982. SSRN 1956352.
  13. ^ Obar, Jonathan (2013-04-22). "Canadian Advocacy 2.0: A Study of Social Media Use by Social Movement Groups and Activists in Canada". Canadian Journal of Communication. SSRN 2254742.
  14. ^ Buettner, R. and Buettner, K. (2016). A Systematic Literature Review of Twitter Research from a Socio-Political Revolution Perspective. 49th Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Kauai, Hawaii: IEEE. doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.4239.9442.{{cite conference}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)