Political process and framing theories Flashcards
How were social/insurgent movements historically perceived?
They were seen as either economic or psychological rather than political.
What is a key similarity and difference between the research mobilization and political process model?
- Both recognize that power in society is held by a few, so social movements emerge due to strength in numbers.
- Resource mobilization sees elites as resources, while the political process model views them as obstacles maintaining the status quo.
How do members differ from challengers in the political system?
Members are inside the system with recognized interests (few but powerful), while challengers are outside with numbers but no power.
What are political opportunities in social movements?
- Openings that allow challengers to act, often when balance shifts in power
- Time when challengers have more power which leads to equalisation
- In an election the challengers have a bit more power than members who are fighting each other for our vote
- Shifts reduce discrepancy between challengers and members and increase bargaining power of challengers
What are the 3 components of social movements?
- Political opportunities
- Indigenous organisational strength
- Cognitive liberation
What is indigenous organisational strength?
- ability for an insurgent group to rally and convert people to their cause
- often provide organisational base out of which social movements emerge
- ability of insurgents to generate a social movement is ultimately dependent on the presence of an indigenous “infrastructure” that can be used to link members of the aggrieved population into an organized campaign of mass political action
What is cognitive liberation?
- Re-understanding the relationship between challengers and members > recognise that things are bad and also that you can do something about it
- Seeing the wider connection between individuals and a larger system
- Cognitive liberation is what pushes someone from personal to public issue
- Requires people in power to realise they’re in the wrong and confront their mistakes
- Some problems are very intersectional and require to address a myriad of systems
What is the importance of framing in social movement?
- Actors are like signifying agents engaged in the production, spreading of meaning
- Movement are always trying to frame and package ideas to appeal to people and make it make sense for them
- media framing shapes how people first learn about and engage with a movement.
What is an example of highjacking a movement’s framing strategy?
“All Lives Matter” as a response to “Black Lives Matter”
What are the key features of the political process model?
- Social movements are considered political phenomena, not psychological ones.
- Factors shaping institutionalized political processes are useful for analyzing social insurgency.
- Movements are continuous processes from generation to decline.
- Models should analyze the entire process of movement development, not just a phase.
- political process model emphasizes latent political leverage of excluded groups
What is “conversion potential” in social movements?
The ability of a minority group to turn political opportunities into organized protests.
What are the two main patterns of recruitment in movements?
- Recruitment through existing organizations (e.g., abolitionist groups fueling the women’s rights movement).
- Bloc recruitment (entire organizations merging into movements, such as the Populist Party)
What are “solidary incentives” in social movements?
- interpersonal rewards that motivate participation.
- help solve the “free-rider problem,” where individuals might not participate in a movement if they can benefit without participating.
How do communication networks influence social movements?
- shape how quickly and widely movements spread.
- A strong network improves a movement’s chances of success.
What is diffusion theory?
- higher social integration leads to quicker adoption of new ideas.
- applies to social movements, with movements spreading more rapidly in highly integrated communities.
What is the role of leaders in a social movement?
- Leaders are essential for the direction and coordination of social insurgency.
- Established organizations ensure the presence of recognized leaders who can lend their prestige and organizing skills to new movements.
- Leaders often among the first to join new movements due to their central position within the community.
