Social Movements, Collective Behavior, and Social Change- Week 8

Question 1

What is social change?

Answer 1

the transformation of a culture over time. Some changes are deliberate or intended, while others are unplanned or unintentional

ex.One way is through a major physical event (hurricanes, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions).
Demographic factors can also lead to social change (for example, the aging of baby boomers).
Another source of social change lies in discoveries and innovations (fire or the wheel).
The most important contributions to social change have been made through collective action (the civil rights movement).

Question 2

What is collective behavior?

Answer 2

refers to behavior that emerges from the formation of a group or crowd of people who together take action toward a shared goal. This includes any social interaction in which a group of people engages in behavior that is not in their normal routine

Question 3

What are mobs, riots, and violence?

Answer 3

depending on the type of collective behavior this can be harmful and dangerous. In these cases, collective behavior can take the form o

Question 4

What are fads?

Answer 4

causing mass consumerism (which can positively impact the economy, though negatively impact the environment and labor situations as with what we discussed with globalization and sweatshop labor)

Question 5

What is contagion theory? Who developed the theory?

Answer 5

individuals who join a crowd or mob become “infected” by a mob mentality and lose the ability to reason.
This is one of the earliest theories of collective action, developed by Gustave Le Bon in 1896.
ex. Contagion theorists compared such groups to herds of animals, where individuality and rational thought disappear and the collective action takes over. (WW Norton)

Question 6

What is emergent norm theory?

Answer 6

individual members of a crowd make their own decisions about behavior.
norms are created through others’ acceptance or rejection of these behaviors.
theory argues that collective behavior is not as simple as Le Bon suggests and that there are any number of factors that motivate people to participate in crowd activities. The group is guided by norms (shared cultural expectations for behavior) that emerge in response to a situation.

Question 7

What are social movements?

Answer 7

activities that support or protest social issues organized by nongovernmental organizations. Social movements allow ordinary individuals to participate in the political process defusing ideas and beliefs. Social movements may either bring about social change or promote the status quo.

Question 8

What are Aberle classifications of social movements?

Answer 8

Alternative, Redemptive, Reformative (which can be either Progressive or Regressive), and Revolutionary Movements

Question 9

What is alternative social movements?

Answer 9

Want to create a change in specific people’s thoughts, practices, and beliefs regarding a specific issue
Their goal is to encourage a small defined change in the way a particular group of people think and act in order to solve a problem

Question 10

What is redemptive social movements?

Answer 10

Focus on specific individuals but the amount of change sought is radical, rather then limited

ex. Religious movements are examples of redemptive social movements that require a radical change in life style

Question 11

What are reformative social movements–promoting and resisting change?

Answer 11

regressive- a term describing resistance to particular social changes, efforts to maintain the status quo, or attempts to re-establish an earlier form of social order)

progressive -(a term describing efforts to promote forward-thinking social change

ex of regressive social movements the slow food movement started in Italy, the desire to slow down a fast-paced, fast-food culture

Question 12

What are revolutionary movements?

Answer 12

Sometimes called the transformative social movements
Seeks to change the thoughts and actions of all society in radical fashion
These social movements attempt to totally restructure society
Most ambitious type of social movement

Question 13

What is activism ?

Answer 13

Because society is constantly changing, new social movements and different opportunities for activism (any activity intended to bring about social change) are constantly emerging.

Question 14

What are framing and social movements?

Answer 14

Frames are templates that organize how we behave publicly. Successful social movements use frames to further their cause – it must frame its argument successfully

Question 15

What are the 3 core tasks in framing?

Answer 15

Diagnostic framing – stating the problem clearly
Prognostic framing – provides solution to the problem
Motivational framing – calls people to action

Frame alignment process occurs when social movement organizations link their goals to the goals of other organizations

Question 16

What are the four processes that occur when organizations are involves in the frame alignment process?

Answer 16

Frame bridging occurs when two or more groups that may be somewhat opposed to each other join forces

Amplification occurs when ideas become elaborated and somewhat exaggerated

Extension refers to the way social movement organizations seek to align their interests with those of other groups that are related sometimes furthering ideas that were nor originally in their frame

Transformation changes the old meaning and understandings of the problems and creates new and innovative ones

Question 17

What is Resource mobilization theory?

Answer 17

a theory explaining social movements, which focuses on practical constraints that help or hurt the actions of a social movement.

Question 18

Conflict theory and social change?

Answer 18

Conflict theory believes that social movements are normative events in a social world that is characterized by inequality. Marx believed inequality makes social change not only necessary, but likely. However, social movements that are best able to gain access to money, media and larger audiences (resource theory) are more likely to succeed.

Question 19

Functionalism and Social change?

Answer 19

According to functionalist, social movements are a way for participant to relieve the frustrations and emotions they have about a particular subject. Social movements challenge the equilibrium of society so change is likely to come about.

Question 20

Symbolic Interactionism and Social Change ?

Answer 20

Symbolic interactionists believe that social movements are less of a unifying force of individuals and more a reaction to relative deprivation.

Question 21

What is relative deprivation theory?

Answer 21

Relative deprivation points to the gaps between what people have and what they expect.
a theory explaining social movements, which focuses on oppressed groups pursuing rights or opportunities already being enjoyed by others.
ex. Cesar Chavez’s successful organizing of migrant farm workers in the 1960s and 1970s

Question 22

What is Gerrymandering ?

Answer 22

involves the redrawing of state voting district boundaries to provide an advantage to a political party. The possibly unintentional consequence is that voters of the disadvantaged party feel disenfranchised.