Section 2 Flashcards
What is Philanthropy?
An idea or action that is done to better humanity, usually involving some sacrifice
Not done for profit
What is the Philanthropic Model of social change?
Using voluntary, privately funded foundations or NGO’s controlled by private actors
Foundations
Created for holding and distributing money, donor-driven, fewer sources of funding (usually one rich person)
Non-government organizations
Mission-driven, multiple sources of funding, smaller budgets, doing things rather than giving out money
Corporation
An organization or institution that has its own legal identity with rights
Incorporation
The process of making a corporation or legal entity
How do you qualify to become a 501c3 organization (tax-exempt)?
You must: be a corporation, have a mission for the public good, be a non-profit, and be apolitical
What is the benefit of the Philanthropic Model?
“It’s nicer than capitalism”
For-profits are bound by law to maximize profit for shareholders, even if it goes against the social good
Non-profits are bound by law to pursue their missions for the public good
What are the limitations of the Philanthropic Model (as talked about in class)?
Mission-Driven: addresses piecemeal rather than structural problems
Voluntary: relies on people wanting to participate, limited accountability, undemocratic (no feedback loop between what is needed and what is given)
Funding: Dependent on large donations = inequality of influence; also decreases public funding (less tax revenue)
What are some limitations of the Philanthropic Model as described in the readings?
Frames problems as personal troubles rather than public issues (fails to address structure)
Community building tries too hard to be race neutral
Charities are plagued by mismanagement, abuse of money, and elitism
What is the Electoral Strategy for social change?
Winning elections to gain control of the government to make better laws or policies
What are the pros of the Electoral Strategy?
Requires a democratic process
The government is the richest institution (has the money to fund social change)
The scope and authority of the gov’t is also broader and more powerful than any other institution (can change laws, take away power, justify violence, etc.)
What are the limitations of the Electoral Strategy?
The people you elect to office that you think are going to help produce social change might not actually do it due to lack of resources and the power of capital
What example does K.Y. Tayler use to describe the drawbacks of the Electoral Strategy?
“Black Faces in High Places”
- Black elected officials continued to perpetuate the racialized policies of the past and cut social programs
- Gap between the Black elite officials and the people they claim to represent
- Demographic shifts + National Economic Decline = small budgets and few resources to deal with these problems outside of the previously established systems (aka the police and mass incarceration)
Structural Power of Capital
Wealthy people have intrinsic power based off their position in the economy (their wealth makes them crucial to investment, which is crucial to economic stability and tax revenue)
Instrumental Power of Capital
Wealthy people deliberately using their money to influence political outcomes through lobbying and campaign contributions
How does the Impact Litigation strategy for social change work?
Litigation for social change
Trying to make an argument that a law, practice, or policy violates the Constitution, so that it can be changed
Statutory Laws vs Constitutional Laws
Rules created by Congress vs rules written in the foundational law of the US (the Constitution)
What is the purpose of the Judicial Branch?
To solve disputes between people in courts by interpreting the law
What are the pros of Impact Litigation?
Extremely powerful
Deals with injustices embedded in the legal structure
Can be used to protect minority rights
Symbolically powerful
What are the cons of Impact Litigation?
Costly
Slow
Politics one step removed
Undemocratic
Courts don’t have the power to enforce their decisions (only works if the executive branch is on your side as well)
What example does Michael Klarman use to demonstrate the cons of Impact Litigation?
Brown vs Board received so much backlash from both ordinary people and judges in the South that the decision simply wasn’t enforced
What was Brown vs Board?
Overturned Plessy vs Ferguson’s “separate but equal” principle by saying that separate can never be equal
Desegregation
What were some of the issues that could be seen following Brown vs Board?
Didn’t fix residential segregation
Was evaded and continuously delayed or unenforced
Violence or harassment, threats of losing your job if you supported it
Directed attention towards the topic and forced people to take sides
Did not lead to any major attitude shifts or inspire protests
No desegregation occurred for 10 years
What is the Social Movement strategy to social change?
Using conscious, concerted, and sustained efforts by ordinary people to change some aspect of society using extra-institutional means
Weaponizes the fact that participation and obedience is essential to the functioning of a social structure
What are some strategies used by social movements?
Litigation, spreading awareness or seeking allies, mutual aid, demonstrations, boycotting, strikes, revolution
Structural Power of the People
Refusal to consent to social structures by boycotting, striking, or using civil disobedience
Working outside the social structure by refusing to participate in it
Instrumental Power of the People
Deliberate political engagement by ordinary people to coordinate voting, lobbying, and campaign contributions
Working within the electoral structure, but doing it in an organized way
The Problem of Collective Action
Social Movements require collectivity and sustained organization, which is hard
Cooperation is difficult without trust
Too many free-riders = not enough power to pose a threat
The Vicious Cycle
People don’t want to risk losing so they become free-riders (don’t show up, but still get the benefits if the movement wins w/o risk of punishment) = not enough power
The Virtuous Cycle
Lower risk of punishment + more belief that you can win + feeling pride and hope when participating = less free-riders = larger numbers = credible threat + energy builds
How do social movements build numbers?
By building trust, solidarity, and community
The Coordination Problem
Unable to agree on what problem to tackle first or how to deal with it
Differing approaches + people with strong opinions = hard to compromise
Advocacy
Elite based
Seeking one-time wins
No structural change
Back-room negotiations
Mobilizing
Primarily elite
Same people showing up again and again (that are already passionate about the cause)
Medium wins, no structural change
Organizing
Mass, inclusive, collective
Seek out people not already involved
Building trust and community
Groups come together to diminish opposition and change the structure
