Social Rebellion Analysis
Social activism existed in this country of the United States of American since its Founding Fathers, and it continues to exist today as American citizens strive for improvement for the future. With this long history, citizens have joined various social movements. Social movements result from the unity of people to strive for a change for certain problems. The gatherings for a change can inspire and can scare the reality that already existing. The struggles for change first must evolve from a person’s resolve. The reasons of why people communicate, collaborate, and go into motion must be understood to further the understanding of why social activism continues to occur. Three theoretical claims have enlighten society
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of the causes that lead to social changes; however, these claims also showcase why a lot people refuse to join social movements. A melting pot of individualism led to the bandwagon effect. The bandwagon effect described how people do popular things at that point in time because others were doing them. The Mass Society Theory depicted this meaning by claiming that social movements happened when a lot of people felt insignificant in society and wanted to be more involved (Locher 2002). This kind of case would be considered dangerous for this group of actors because they could become extremists. For example, the movement of Nazism in Germany was a form of extreme social change. Nevertheless, this theory did lack of evidentiary support that actors who joined felt alienated. Actors, instead, joined because someone they knew was a part of that social movement. The Mass Society Theory supported the trendy movements, especially when they were extreme. The lack of satisfaction in people’s daily lives could stir up a social movement. The Relative Deprivation Theory explained this psychological concept by stating that social movements emerge when a large number of people felt the need to improve their conditions (Locher 2002). Comparison played a huge role in this theory for it was the sole reason why people were active in social movements since they felt discontent whenever they compared themselves to a certain reference group. Through these comparisons, those social actors demanded for specific services or goods, because their country should meet up it their expectations. For example, the middle class tax payers complained that taxes were too high and the upper class’s taxes were too low; therefore, the government should raise taxes on the upper class and lower taxes for the middle class. This theory, however, emphasized solely on social actors’ motive of feeling deprived, a common occurrence in daily life, and that it lacked the other motives to support a social movement. Nonetheless, the Relative Deprivation Theory gave a glimpse of how a social movement can emerge. Grievances continued to be mere moments in one’s life, however, with the right tools, any grievances could be turned into a national concern. The Resource Mobilization Theory interpreted those rational actors’ participation through the use of resources (Locher 2002). Rational actors were defined as people who find the benefits of the joining a cause outweighed the losses they would have to face. Furthermore, this theory claimed that without a structured group and leadership then any kind of group would falter, and it was the resources that supported this structure. Resources were important for survival for a social movement; for example, having some kind of financial income and social networking can greatly benefit a social movement. Most funding, as this theory claimed, came from elites or upper class people. Therefore, a steady income would lead to a gradual social movement. An example would be the movement of social change for finding a cure for cancer. Funded directly from the government and other businesses, the cancer researching became one of the largest research facilities in the United States with a stable outlook on those who wished to join its social movement. This theory, however, did not address the effectiveness of nonprofit organizations and the help of non-elite people (Xiong 2014). Nonetheless, the Resource Mobilization Theory constructed a logical point in the efficiency of social movements in terms of the orderliness. The three theoretical claims still hold true today as the current interviews done by University of Wisconsin-Madison (UW-Madison) students refute and support them. In discussing the Mass Society Theory, none of the interviewees agreed to participate in any kind of social change just because others are doing so, but a lot of the motives to join were out of personal beliefs. Josh Feng, a Yale undergraduate, joined the New York Planet March 2014, because he believed that the core cause of social problems was the environment (PKT1). Another refuting concept of this theory would be that even though some of the interviewees knew people who participated in social change, they did not feel the need to also participate. The main commentary they made about the people they knew was they felt inspired and influenced. For example, a Hmong American woman, a UW-Madison undergraduate, stated that Mee Moua was her aunt, the first Hmong American State Senator, but she has yet to actively participate in any social movement (BFA2). Therefore, it was clear that family and friend activists and popularity had little to no effect in getting people to actively join social movements. When applying the Relative Deprivation Theory to these interviewees, the theory was not supported.
Many of the answers given by the interviewees did not mention any comparisons to other groups or classes. Two Hmong Americans, however, did discuss their sufferings of being discriminated against because of their race and felt aggressiveness towards them (MK1; MK2). In addition, both of Hmong Americans did not take the initiative to take this discrimination to the political system. One of them stated that he would rather stay away from politics because he “know[s] how [the] American system works” (MK1). He further explained that the “media brainwashes people…often leads to exploitation of own people” (MK1). This statement meant that the media could influence people to discriminate their own kind or race without justifiable support because the media holds a strong influential power. Therefore, without further movement, their feelings of discrimination ends there based on this theory. Furthermore on this theory, instead of having a deprived motivation, most of the interviewees felt no motivation to participate. Rita Moua, a UW-Madison undergraduate, stated that there was no movement she felt passionate about to commit to, and she also felt too preoccupied with college, work and other activities to participate in any social change (PKT2). The feeling of deprivation was lacking in these interviewees as they looked at other motives for social …show more content…
change. Even with the right tools to elevate social changes, many of the interviewees did not take the opportunity to do so.
The Resources Mobilization Theory would be refuted and supported by these interviewees. Josh Feng claimed that money was the problem for him not being an activist, because he needs to making a living first before he could fully focus his attention on other things (PKT1). Therefore, he would refute the idea of rational actors, since he does not believe the loss he would experience by being an activist would be worth it. In contrast, when Josh joined the New York Planet March 2014, he realized that the march was a very organized and peaceful protest; thousands of people joined most likely due to that reason (PKT1). This structured group also made it to the front pages of newspapers, such as the New York Times. The resources presented here greatly supports the theory that an organized group with the knowledge of resources would be successful. Furthermore, some interviewees had taken advantage of the resources offered to them as they strive for small social changes within their communities. One Hmong American got involved and tried to change the Hmong Student Association. She wanted to get this student organization to help benefit the Hmong community rather than being a club for socializing (MK2). Whether this change and been successful or not, the attempt to try to organize the club would apply to this theory. Another Hmong American actively participated in
activities directly related to Hmong Americans, such as the peaceful and organized protests for General Vang Pao and Chai Vang (MK1). He also joined Lauj-Phab Society, Kaj Siab House, and Hmong 18 Council Coordination of America which, as Locher stated, are “strong, existing groups can easily become mobilized as movements” (2002:260). These groups hold a lot of influence within the Hmong community; therefore, they could start a movement if they wanted too. This would be how Resources Mobilization Theory would be applied in current times. Based on the research and data collect, the Resources Mobilization Theory claim would be the most powerful, out of the three theoretical claims, in having the capability of explaining a larger, more varied number of situations. This theory definitely explained the necessities need to have a successful social movement and how one should go about those necessities. It had been true that a gradual growth in social change would be better than a fast-paced growth in most situations, because it would allow society to adapt and accept the social change. A lot of the interviewees seemed to prefer learning about the social movement before joining; therefore, the social movement should be organized and well-resourceful so that the “free-riders become contributers” (Xiong 2014). According to this theory and Professor Xiong, the necessary resources must be obtained for collective action (2014). Media would be one for it is a powerful tool that “entertains” its audience; therefore, being able to realized this fact would mobilize more people (Loseke 2003). Furthermore, having organizational sponsors “lend their name, money and organizational skills to claims-making activities started by others” would benefit both the sponsor and the social change group as people will become more aware of them both (Loseke 1999). Another strong support for this theory would be moral resources that included “legitimacy, solidary support, sympathetic support, and celebrity” (Edwards and McCarthy 2004). Many of the interviewees expressed the discontent with violence used in protests so this theory would emphasize the importance of morals as well. The Resources Mobilization Theory treated social movements like business of understanding the problem and understanding the target audience the problem would apply to make an effective profit. Therefore, this theory would be the strongest theoretical claim in the modern time twenty-first century. In American society today, despite having many kinds of social movements, the number of social actors continue to steadily decrease with each generation. Younger generations grow up in a less chaotic time period than those generations of World War II; therefore, the sense of urgency is lost. After the interviews, a lot of interviewees had the passion, but lack the motive to go participate. One interviewee explained why he does not participate in social change: “I have never been involved in protest or political involvement and I think this is largely in part due to my age and current knowledge. I think that going through public schooling until age 18 does not provide me with the adequate resources I would need to become involved in politics or protest. I do not think it shaped my attitude towards this is a way that I would feel I should be involved” (AS2). This explanation clearly stated that it is the society the cause of the lack of active citizens. Society shapes the minds of younger generations at young ages to feel no need to change society nor does society encourage the teaching of sociology to every student in high school. If society enforces more students to take sociology, then they would learn to be more open-minded and care more about the society they live in. If students were never exposed to the struggles of the world, they would never question it. Josh Feng’s parents, who had not participated in any social activities, questioned his activism of why go through the trouble of protesting when he was already living a stable life. Josh, however, felt the need to participate at least once, because he felt it was a necessity and privilege to be able to change society for the better for everyone (PKT1). Like the Founding Fathers of the United States of America, citizens should unite and create positive change, for a rebellion once or twice is good for a country and its people.
Existing within the movement must be a leader or leaders, as well as a large number of committed followers or members. Additionally, social movements have “organizations or coalitions” working as a guiding backbone for collectivity and regulation (Stewart,
The Andes had a legacy of resistance that was unseen in other Spanish occupied place during the colonial period. There were rebellions of various kinds as a continued resistance to conquest. In the “Letters of Insurrection”, an anthology of letters written amongst the indigenous Andean people, between January and March 1781 in what is now known as Bolivia, a statement is made about the power of community-based rebellion. The Letters of Insurrection displays effects of colonization and how the “lesser-known” revolutionaries that lived in reducción towns played a role in weakening colonial powers and creating a place of identification for indigenous people.
Without meeting these three intertwined characteristics, the social movement in question cannot be successful. The Occupy Wall Street movement for example, as mentioned previously, is lacking leadership and organization and its common purpose was very wide, as it focused on social and economic inequality worldwide. It would have probably succeeded if the movement had broken down the claims they made in small movements. Contrastingly, feminist movements embody perfectly this idea, as they each fought for one cause, from the legal right to file complaints independently to contraception. By taking the problem of gender inequality as a basis, they succeeded in taking issues like voting, contraception or matrimonial rights, in the prospect of making changes in society. So today, we can affirm that the feminist movement is succeeding, as it still criticizes current issues. Also, as seen before, sustaining contentious adds the success determinant of other new issues emerge from them, as it brings new political opportunities, by the dissolution of constraints in society. In the end, the key to success of social movements is adaptation to the context, and the flexibility of the movements’
Brassy fanfares, sweet flute melodies, and intense strings. These are the types of music that are used in the film “Rebel Without a Cause”. This film was released in 1955. James Dean, Natalie Wood, and Sal Mineo star as the lead characters of Jim Stark, Judy, and John "Plato" Crawford. The orchestra music for “Rebel Without a Cause” serves three functions: it reflects the emotions of the teens, it acts as element of the mise-en-scène, and it causes the audience to feel a particular emotion.
Peaceful protests were the most prominent form of civil rights activities during the sixties, and often proved successful, given time. “Peaceful but relentless protest was more effective than violent action” (Lindop 30), the legendary civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. argued. One form of this protest manifested itself through James Farmer, who formed the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE for short), conceived the bril...
Adolescents are known for, or rather stereotyped as, having rebellious tendencies. These tendencies are explored in films, novels, television shows, and even studies conducted by professors and researchers worldwide. Teenage angst has been a major source of discussion for before 1595 with the publication of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Rebel Without a Cause, released in 1955, exemplifies this topic being discussed in a manner that is relatable to a wide array of teenagers. Exploring this issue while also making it relatable to adolescents rather than simply a criticism of their personalities is an admirable feat, one that Rebel Without a Cause accomplishes by making use of several techniques.
Kurashigue argued that what contributed to the social and political factors that caused the 1967 Rebellion is the same factors that are being applied today. The policies and conditions that led to the 1967 Rebellion is very similar in what Black Detroiters are experiencing today through discrimination, urban renewal and police terror. Once you reflect on the events that led up to the Rebellion, there were two distinct perspectives from Whites and Blacks during this era. There was a conveying mix of sadness, tragedy, anger and regret that provide a deep sense of what White America felt it lost in the Detroit Rebellion of 1967. This deep sense of loss, in turn, informs what ex-Detroiters would like to bring back or take back. Today’s impulse
(Turner and Killian 1987) cited in (Diani 1992, p. 4) define social movements as a “collectivity acting with some continuity to promote or resist a change in the society or organisation of which it is part. As a collectivity a movement is a group with indefinite and shifting membership and with leadership whose position is determined more by informal response of adherents than by formal procedures for legitimizing authority”. Turner and Killian regard a social movement as a peculiar kind of collective behavior that is contrasted to regularity and institutional behavior. Additionally, Turner believes that social movements do not necessarily coincide with movement organisations, although these organisations can carry out a large part of the movement tasks and it is often help to control and speak for movements (Diani 1992).
Researching and writing this paper helped me to have a different point of view about the actuality of my country and how most the social movements are not social at all. Before writing this paper I knew just a few things about this topic, but now I know the reality that we are facing.
According to Perry and Pugh “Social movements are collectives with a degree of leadership, organization, and ideological commitment to promote or resist change” (Ferris and Stein 489). Unlike political campaigns, social movements attempt to alter the norms of a certain behavior or thing, a collective group sees as “wrong”. Perry and Pugh also argued that people start organizing social movements because they see inconsistency (real or perceived) between what they are getting and what they deserve (as cited in Ferris and Stein 494). These movements can be seen in a variety of matters, usually political or social, such as; feminist rights, animal rights, gay rights or organizations for a certain cause such as homelessness. The people who join these movements seek for the possibility of a better society, maybe not right away but for our future generations to come. In order for social movements to be successful, it is very important to address the public through mobilizing resources so more people come together and react to the same cause. The wider the audience, the better the results. This being said, social movements are what shapes our culture. Take as an example the civil rights movement, or the right to vote. If there would not have been a reform against these rights, our world today would be very different and would not be as free. These rights were attained by social reforms. There are going to be more rules as the year come, and they may give rise to oppression, making people want to reform against them. No matter what consequences the movement may bring because it is proven some movements fail and others strive, social activism will continue to exist in the future decades. Our society is made up from rights or fall they brin...
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 most pressing social problem we’re facing in 2016 could, quite possibly, be that despite the vastly different social problems plaguing the United States, let alone the world today, the majority of people are uninformed or, even worse, apathetic about any of the issues that don’t directly affect them. On the other hand, there is also a rising vocal and often aggressive minority of people, mostly young adults and college students, who are committed to protesting and seeking resolutions for the social issues they find concerning for moral or personal reasons. One of these more contentious and divisive issues that has been becoming more and more urgent in the past few years, but seems to have reached a boiling point in 2016, is an epidemic
This summer if you were on social media you heard about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. The concept was simple, just film yourself dumping a bucket of ice water over your head, challenge your friends to do the same, and donate ten dollars to the ALS Association. Opt out and donate one hundred dollars (Madison). Many Americans did not know what ALS was and by putting this challenge on social media has brought tons awareness to this devastating disease. Activism used to be taking action to bring social change, people in the 1960s used to gather in front of community centers and protest and or speak about their issue or cause. Now even though people still gather together it is much easier to use the internet. Hundreds of social media applications
To make social changes relating to these issues, a change of policies and regulations must occur. However, the necessary changes that are needed to affect social change are not only the responsibility of elected officials. It is necessary for advocates to utilize a strategic approach by maintaining effective communication with members of the public. Educating the public about social issues is an effective way to shine a light on social injustices while also gaining supporters of issues (Thackeray & Hunter, 2010). Furthermore, additional supporters help advocacy efforts and promote social development by bringing awareness to a wider range of people. This affects social change because community involvement typically means media, petitions, social media, letters, emails, and other strategies are utilized to engage the public and bring more awareness to the issues (Shier & Handy,
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 ...