Chapter 17 Social Change Social Movements and Collective

Chapter 17 Social Change, Social Movements, and Collective Action Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Social Change • Social change involves variations over time in every aspect of the social world. • This issue has been at the heart of sociology since its inception. • Sociology emerged during periods of great social upheaval. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Social Movements • A social movement is a sustained and intentional collective effort to bring about or retard social change. • Characteristics of a social movement include • a collective effort that involves a significant number of people; • sustained for several years; • intentionally brought into being; and • outside established institutional channels. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Social Movements • The “TEA” (Taxed Enough Already) Party • Tends to hold ideology synonymous with the more conservative Republican positon(s) • Emerged as a protest against high taxes and governmental interventions Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Social Movements • The Women’s Movement • Based on feminism, the belief that women are equal to men • The Women’s Movement in the United States • First wave in the 1840’s – suffrage and voting rights • Second wave began in the 1960 s as a direct attack against the system of patriarchy • Third wave occurred in the early 1990 s to address issues of racism, classism, homophobia, and systemic violence against women • The Global Women’s Movement Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Social Movements • Gay and Lesbian Movements • World War II and the Lavender Store • A government-sponsored attack on sexual minorities and those who engage in same-sex behaviors • U. S. -Based Homophile Movement • Stonewall (1969) • The beginning of the modern gay rights movement Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Social Movements • Gay and Lesbian Movements • Lesbian Herstory • Homosexuality removed from the DSM in 1973 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) • Harvey Milk: the first openly gay candidate elected to a major political office Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Social Movements • Gay and Lesbian Movements • HIV/AIDS, ACT UP, and Queer Nation • The Ongoing Fight for Marriage Equality Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Social Movements • The Civil Rights Movement • 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, boycott of segregated city buses • The Montgomery Bus Boycott catapulted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. into the national spotlight, and began to focus public consciousness on the issues of racial inequality. • Civil Rights Act of 1964 banned discrimination on the basis of race, sex, religion, and national identity. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Social Movements • The Civil Rights Movement • Other national organizations were formed to address a wide variety of issues and social problems faced by minorities • Following the successes of the coalition of civil rights organizations working for Black equality, other minorities formed movements to address their own specific racial and ethnic issues, including the American Indian Movement, the Brown Berets, and the Black Panthers. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Emergence, Globalization, and Impact of Social Movements • Factors in the Emergence of a Social Movement • A set of grievances • Opportunities within the political system • Spatial arrangements (the physical proximity of those involved) • Availability of resources • Resource Mobilization Theory Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Emergence, Globalization, and Impact of Social Movements • Resources and Mobilization of Social Movements • • • Material resources Organizational resources Human resources Moral resources Cultural resources Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Emergence, Globalization, and Impact of Social Movements • Even if not successful, social movements leave their mark on the society within which they take place. • When successful, social movements leave a strong legacy for, and a powerful impact on, later movements. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

The Internet, Globalization, and Social Movements • The Internet has proven to be an important way of involving and organizing large numbers of people. • People do not need to be in close proximity to be involved in a social movement. • People can also communicate through the use of mobile phones. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Collective Action • Action generated or engaged in by a group of people. It serves to encourage or retard social change. • Social movements are different from other forms of collective action because they are intentional and may be long-lasting. • Emergent norm theory: new norms emerge in light of some precipitating event and they guide the non-traditional actions that characterize collective action. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Collective Action • Crowds: temporary gatherings of a large number of people in a common geographic location at a specific time. • Riots: temporary, unruly forms of collective behavior that cause damage to persons and/or property • Negative views • Positive effects Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Collective Behavior • Disasters are events that suddenly, unexpectedly, and severely disrupt and harm the environment, social structure, people, and their property. • They are distinguished from accidents by their far greater impact. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Collective Behavior • Human Involvement in Disasters • Humans can play a role in disasters and exacerbate their consequences by, for example, building on fault lines. • Some disasters are the result of human error or corruption. • Examples include the 2010 BP oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico and the 1986 space shuttle Challenger explosion. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Collective Behavior • The Effects of Disasters • Individuals and collectivities are traumatized for long periods. • Disasters worsen existing inequalities. • Disasters can be a time when people and communities come together in unprecedented ways. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Collective Behavior • Globalization and Cyber-Activism • The Internet has given those opposed to globalization a tool with which to mount their opposition on a global basis. • World Social Forum • World Huaren Federation Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Globalization, Consumption, the Internet, and Social Change • Social change is intimately connected to social movements. • Social change is particularly characteristic of the 3 signature concerns in the text: Globalization, Consumption, and the Digital world. Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Globalization, Consumption, the Internet, and Social Change • Globalization as the Ultimate Social Change • It could be argued that globalization is the most important social change in history. • “Global Liquids” • “Global Flows” Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Globalization, Consumption, the Internet, and Social Change • Globalization and the Internet • The Internet has expedited globalization and is a profound form and aspect of globalization. • Spam • The main form is unsolicited bulk e-mail. • It stems from virtually everywhere on the globe, goes everywhere, and is impossible to contain. • Computer Viruses • Science fiction in the 1960 s; was created (likely) in 1986 Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.

Globalization, Consumption, the Internet, and Social Change • Consumption and Globalization • Hyperconsumption and Hyperdebt • Local and Regional Differences • The Globalization of Consumers • Global Brands Copyright 2014, SAGE Publications, Inc.