Political Science: Social Movements and Mobilization

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Questions and Answers

What is the focus of social movement and political science research?

The history of political science

Electoral behaviors and large opinion polls

A specific time of political participation (correct)

The complexity of civic activism

Why has there been periods of disinterest in social movement research?

Because it's a form of political participation that concerns a minority of individuals (correct)

Because it's easily analyzed through large opinion polls and surveys

Because it's a less important subject in the field of research

Due to the lack of diversity in denominations

What can be referred to with different phrases or names?

Political behaviors and collective action

Political sciences and social movements

Civic activism and electoral behaviors

Social movement, collective action, mobilization, protest, contentious politics (correct)

What has been labelled differently over time?

Mobilization, collective action, social movements Signup and view all the answers

When did research on social movements and political science start?

A long time ago Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of the diversity of names in social movement research?

A complexity of the field of research Signup and view all the answers

What occurs when the level of expected goods remains constant, but the level of accessible goods declines?

Frustration of the decline Signup and view all the answers

According to the relative frustration approach, which of the following is an example of the frustration of rising aspirations?

Post-45 anticolonial revolts Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the divergence between the expected goods and what can be gained?

Progressive frustration Signup and view all the answers

What is a necessary condition for specific collective action to emerge, according to Gurr?

Existence of prior success Signup and view all the answers

What is the limitation of the relative frustration approach?

It cannot explain why individuals decide to participate in collective action Signup and view all the answers

What are the factors that the relative frustration approach allows to better identify?

Factors of mobilization Signup and view all the answers

What was Mancur Olson's fundamental change of perspective in his book 'The Logic of Collective Action'?

Focusing on the individual's decision to participate or not in collective action Signup and view all the answers

What is the underlying assumption of Mancur Olson's theory?

People are rational individuals Signup and view all the answers

What is the conclusion of Olson's reasoning?

It's irrational for an individual to participate in a social movement Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a situation where the rational decision is not to participate?

A worker choosing not to participate in a strike Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the strategy of not participating in collective action?

Free rider strategy Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of Olson's theory if everyone acts rationally?

There would be no collective action Signup and view all the answers

What is the benefit of participating in a strike, according to Olson's theory?

An improvement in working conditions Signup and view all the answers

What is the rational decision for an individual in Olson's theory?

Not to participate in collective action Signup and view all the answers

What is the main issue in collective action, according to Olson?

The free rider problem Signup and view all the answers

Why are individuals more likely to participate in a smaller group?

Because they are more likely to be pressured Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of selective incentives in collective action?

To encourage participation and overcome the free rider problem Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a negative selective incentive?

A picket line shaming workers who want to go to work Signup and view all the answers

What is the resource mobilization paradigm?

A approach that focuses on the accumulation of resources by organizers Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of the resource mobilization approach?

Importance of organization in structuring the group Signup and view all the answers

Who developed the resource mobilization paradigm?

Mac Carthy and Zald Signup and view all the answers

What is a key variable of the political opportunity structure (POS) according to the text?

Type of state: strong or weak Signup and view all the answers

What is the idea behind the resource mobilization approach?

That resources gathered by organizers will lower the cost of individual participation Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of the electoral system mentioned in the text?

It is either proportional or majoritarian Signup and view all the answers

What did Doug MacAdam's research on 'Freedom Summer' highlight?

The role of political values in mobilization Signup and view all the answers

What is a motivation for mobilization mentioned in the text?

Symbolic rewards, such as high self-esteem Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of the partisan system mentioned in the text?

It is characterized by the number of parties, fragmentation, and discipline Signup and view all the answers

What is a key aspect of the question of identity mentioned in the text?

The importance of identity, ideas, values, and beliefs in mobilization Signup and view all the answers

What is a reward of mobilization mentioned in the text?

Both material and symbolic rewards Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of a country with a different political system mentioned in the text?

France and Switzerland Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Social movements and political science focus on a specific time of political participation, which has been labeled differently over time: mobilization, collective action, social movements, and civic activism.

Frustration and Relative Deprivation

Frustration can lead to collective action, with three types of relative frustrations: • Frustration of the decline: level of expected goods is constant, but the level of accessible goods declines. • Frustration rising aspirations: expectations increase, but what can be gained remains constant. • Progressive frustration: there is a divergence of the expected goods and what you can get is not enough.

Conditions for Collective Action

Gurr pointed out some conditions related to the form, extent, and result of collective action: • Existence of prior success. • Existence of leaders. • Existence of dissenting ideologies. • Existence of communication networks. • Conviction that violence can be effective.

The Logic of Collective Action

Mancur Olson (1965) introduced a fundamental change of perspective, focusing on the individual's decision to participate or not in collective action.
Olson's reasoning: • Individuals are rational actors who evaluate the costs and benefits of participation. • It's irrational for an individual to participate in a social movement, as the most rational decision is not to participate.

The Paradox of Collective Action

The free rider strategy: an individual rationally chooses the solution that maximizes their profit without increasing costs = non-participation.
If we follow this reasoning, there shouldn't be any collective action/mobilization, but there are.

Olson's Solution to the Paradox

Two important conditions to explain why there are collective actions: • Influence of the size of the group: the smaller the group, the more visible your non-participation is, and the more likely you are to be pressured by the group to participate. • Concept of “selective incentives”: a system of benefits used by the organizers of the mobilization to encourage people to participate and overcome the “free rider” problem.

Resource Mobilization Paradigm

Olson's book (1965) led to a new approach called the resource mobilization paradigm.
Characteristics of the resource mobilization approach: • Importance of the organization: structures the group, gathers resources, provides claims. • Social movements are compared to an economy: it's very much influenced by this economic view.

Political Opportunity Structure (POS)

Variables of the POS: • Type of state: strong or weak. • Degree of openness of the political system. • Degree of territorial centralization. • Electoral system (proportional or majority). • Partisan system: number of parties, fragmentation, discipline. • Support from within the political and administrative system. • Strategies of political authorities with regard to the movement: confrontation or cooperation.

The Question of Identity

The question of identity, ideas, values, and beliefs starts to emerge at the beginning of the '90s.
Example: Doug MacAdam with the “Freedom Summer” (1990).
The rewards of mobilization can be material, but also symbolic, including building a network of friends, good and high self-esteem because you act according to your values.

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Description

This quiz covers the basics of social movements, collective action, and mobilization in the context of political sciences. Explore the different names and denominations of political behaviors.