There has been much debate surrounding new social movement theory. Steven Buechler, who has written multiple critiques on this subject, refers to new social movement theory as “a congeries of interrelated ideas and arguments that comprise new social movement theories” (Buechler, 2013). Whilst there are common distinctions that separate new social movements from their predecessors, in essence new social movement theory is a compilation of conflicting ideas proposed by different theorists, which has in turn sparked vast debate on the subject. It is therefore necessary to explore the two schools of thoughts, European and American, which have dominated this area of research. Sidney Tarrow, an American theorist, published a paper that outlines the …show more content…
This is addressed by Pichardo who writes: “whether social movements of the industrial era can be characterized in such categorical terms, it was the standard by which contemporary movements were compared” (Pichardo, 1997: 412). However this focus exists primarily amongst European new social movement theorists. Broadly speaking, the European philosophy identifies the role of non-class based identities as the key feature of new social movements, whereas American philosophy focuses more on the political process. European new social movement theory therefore rejects this long-standing tradition that class conflict is the only source of tension within a capitalist society. Essentially these theorists argue that “different types of society give rise to different types of grievance and strain” (Crossley, 2002: 150), which is why such a diverse range of social movements exists in society today. The context within which new social movements evolved was during a post-industrial economy and thus a key distinguishing factor between old and new social movements, is the substitution of material rewards as the end goal. For example, this was the case with the environmental movement. In the United States the environmental movement had significant effect throughout the 20th century. In fact, environmental activism dates all the way back to the ‘Hot Springs Reservation’ (1832); however, it was not until the 1960s that meaningful progress was made within the movement, including various legislation pieces which are still in effect today. In keeping with modern social theory, this is because previously the environment had not been an important enough issue within the political sphere alongside issues of class
In the beginning of the twentieth century, the economy was booming, new technology flourished. The rapid industrialization brought achievement to the United States, however, it also caused several social problems. Wealth and power were concentrated in the hands of a few, and poverty and political corruption were widespread. As people became aware of these problems, a new reform group was created. Unlike populism, which had been a group of farmers grown desperate as the economy submerged into depression, the new reform movement arose from the educated middle class. These people were known as the progressives. The Progressive Movement was a movement that aimed at solving political, economic, and social problems. The Progressives were people from the middle class who had confidence that they could achieve social progress through political reform. The Progressives sought after changes and improvements in the society through laws and other federal actions.
Polletta, Francesca and James Jasper. “Collective Identity and Social Movements.” Annual Review of Sociology 27.1 (2001): 283–305. Print.
Filene makes the bold yet practical statement that, in reference to the progressive movement, when “research has produced less rather than more conclusions…historians are asking a false question.” His main goal thus is to prove that the progressive movement itself “never existed.” He begins his argument by defining the word “movement” as “a collectivity acting with some continuity to promote or resist a change in society.” By creating this fundamental framework Filene then breaks down the progressive movement into four basic dimensions: program, values, membership, and supporters. He first attacks the basic progressive ideology.
Filene wrote “An Obituary for “The Progressive Movement”” in direct response to Hofstadter and other historians that there was never a Progressive ‘Movement.’ He argues that most historian are too caught up in defining Progressivism that they do not consider what it means for something to be a movement. He states that a social movement is a group acting to cause change or to stop change. Filene argues that there was never a movement, that society and progressives were too fractured to act as one group.
this movement over the course of the past forty years. Unlike other social movements, the
The Progressive Era was the period of reform and social activism from 1895 to 1920, it was an attempt to get rid of all the ills that had penetrated American society during the Gilded age. The Progressives were people who tried to make the life of the average American better, they believed in the ability of humans to create a better world. Industrial capitalism, burgeoning cities, the influx of immigrants, and the depression of the 1890s were some of the sources of the reform impulse of the era. The Progressives were primarily middle class citizens such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, teachers, businessmen, etc. Many of them were part of the Republican and Democratic parties. They were greatly influenced by the Europeans.The Progressives believed
Rodney King a black man who lived in Las Vegas was severely beaten by four white police officers. The officers were brought into court and tried on charges of assault. The officers were acquitted of the assault charges. Immediately protestors took to the streets, to express their angry over the judge’s decision. Protestors found the ruling to be unfair and was fed up with the ill-treatment. The violent protest turned into a riot. A lot of damage occurred; over 50 people were killed, over 2,300 people injured, 8,000 arrests and estimated over $1 billion in property damage. The riots exposed the police abuse, poverty, and lack of economic opportunity. If it was not for the violent protestors no light would have been shed on the way black were being
Part one, The Appeal of Mass Movements, describes why people would be drawn towards a mass movement. "For men to plunge headlong into an undertaking of vast change, they must be intensely discontented yet not destitute, and they must have the feeling that by the possession of some potent doctrine." (Page 11) During this chapter the author uses a wealth of historical information including the French Revolution and the English Industrial Revolution. The author also details what conditions are most suited for a mass movement to take place. He tells that when people are ready for mass movement, they will usually go for any type.
The Communist Manifesto opens with the famous words "The history of all hitherto societies has been the history of class struggles.” In section 1, "Bourgeois and Proletarians," Marx delineates his vision of history, focusing on the development and eventual destruction of the bourgeoisie, the middle class. Before the bourgeoisie rose to prominence, society was organized according to a feudal order run by aristocratic landowners and corporate guilds. With the discovery of America and the subsequent expansion of economic markets, a new class arose, a manufacturing class, which took control of international and domestic trade by producing goods more efficiently than the closed guilds. With their growing economic powers, this class began to gain political power, destroying the vestiges of the old feudal society, which sought to restrict their ambition. According to Marx, the French Revolution was the most decisive instance of this form of bourgeois self-determination. Indeed, Marx thought bourgeois control so pervasive that he claimed, "The executive of the modern State is but a committee for managing the common affairs of the whole bourgeoisie". This bourgeois ascendancy has, though, created a new social class in which labor in the new bourgeois industries. This class, the proletariat (the lower class in economic status) are the necessary consequence of bourgeois modes of production. As bourgeois industries expand and increase their own capital, the rank...
Polletta, F., & Jasper, J. M. (2001). Collective identity and social movements. Annual review of Sociology, 283-305.
The literature on social studies enjoys a wide range of social movement’s definitions (Christiansen 2009). This diversity of such a definition is due to the fact that theorists tend to define the term of a social movement depending on their particular theoretical formulation (Diani 1992). Therefore, this section will first consider definitions proposed by group of scholars that represent four major trends in social movements analysis. These trends are as follow, the ‘Collective Behavior Perspective’ (Turner and Killian), the ‘Resource Mobilization Theory’ (RMT) (ZaId and McCarthy); the ‘Political Process Perspective (Tilly); and the ‘New Social Movements Approach’ (NSMs) (Touraine, Melucci). Then, a definition by Della Porta and Diani is selected as this definition has been centered on the most important characteristics of the social movements and oft-cited by researchers.
Paul Hawken, in the chapter “Blessed Unrest,” records the people of a new social movement, as well as their ideals, goals, and principles. He writes how they are connected, along with the diversity and differences they bring to make the social movement unique. Hawken communicates to the readers the various social, environmental, and political problems they will encounter in today’s world as well as similar problems of the past. Problems that these groups of organizations are planning to undertake with the perseverance of humanity.
"The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles" (Marx and Engels 2). This excerpt, taken from Karl Marx's and Friedrich Engels' The Communist Manifesto, explains the two primary classes found throughout most of Europe during the era of the Industrial Revolution. These classes were the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The former were known as the "exploiters" and the latter as the "exploited".
In the summer of 1980 Communist Poland was experiencing labor unrest at an unprecedented level. Living standards were still very low, the economy was stagnant, and food shortages and inflation were abundant. The Polish Communist Party was faced with nationwide strikes, and their tactics of buying off workers had failed because there were too many people striking. However, when the strikes spread to the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk on August 14th, everything was about to change. The strikers were backed by waves of support from other industrial centers, and the Communist Party was forced to negotiate with them. Under the leadership of Lech Walesa the strikers emerged victorious and the formation of an independent trade union called Solidarity was born.
Researchers classify social movements according to the type of change they seek (Aberle, 1966, Cameron, 1966, Blumer, 1969, as cited in Macionis, 2007). According to John Macionis, a social movement is when people commonly band together to create an organized activity that encourages or discourages social change (Macionis, 2008). In the case of this radical society, Hippies were typically ...