20 Questions
What is the main idea of the rational choice theory?
People compare pros and cons of different courses of action and choose the one that benefits themselves
What is an assumption of the rational choice theory?
That people have full knowledge of the outcomes of their actions
What can social movements cause?
Collective behavior like panics and crazes
What happens to a social movement that is successful?
It becomes a part of the existing institutions
What is true about social movements?
They can affect people not actively involved in them
What is an example of a social movement that was successful?
The civil rights movement
What is the incipient stage of a social movement?
When the public begins to take notice of a situation they consider a problem
What can be said about social movements that have failed?
They leave a mark on their society
What is true about the social movement started by Martin Luther?
It was against the Catholic church and resulted in Protestantism
What can be said about social movements in general?
Our entire culture and society is formed from past social movements
What is a key characteristic of a social movement's leader according to the content?
They know how to speak to a crowd and unite them in a single idea
What is a limitation of the rational choice theory?
It assumes that people have full knowledge of the outcome of their actions
What is a result of a successful social movement?
It becomes a part of the existing bureaucracy
What is a characteristic of social movements that have failed?
They leave a mark on their society
What is true about social movements in general?
They are shaped by the actions of individuals trying to do what is best for themselves
What is the primary difference between a social movement's goals and the rational choice theory's assumption about individual behavior?
Social movements focus on collective behavior, while the rational choice theory assumes individual self-interest.
What is the implication of a social movement becoming part of the bureaucracy it was trying to change?
The social movement has achieved its desired changes and is now institutionalized.
What can be inferred about the relationship between social movements and cultural and societal formation?
Social movements shape cultural and societal formation through both their successes and failures.
What is the significance of the incipient stage of a social movement?
It is the stage where the social movement begins to organize and coalesce into an organized group.
What is the primary difference between a social movement and a craze?
A social movement seeks to change society, while a craze is a short-lived popular phenomenon.
Study Notes
Social Movements
- A social movement is a group of people who come together to share a common idea and create lasting effects on their society by encouraging change or resisting it.
- Social movements require organization, leadership, and resources to gain momentum and make an impact.
Types of Social Movements
- Activist movements focus on changing some aspect of society.
- Regressive or reactionary movements actively try to resist change.
Formation of Social Movements
- A social movement forms when a group with a strong, shared idea has the resources and leadership to survive and make a difference.
- Theories of social movement formation include mass society theory, relative deprivation theory, resource mobilization theory, and rational choice theory.
Mass Society Theory
- Early in the study of social movements, people were skeptical of the motivations of those involved, seeing them as dysfunctional, irrational, and dangerous.
- This theory was prominent during the 20th century, but did not persist through the century.
Relative Deprivation Theory
- This theory focuses on the actions of groups who are oppressed or deprived of rights that others enjoy.
- The civil rights movement is an example of a response to inequality and oppression experienced by people of color in the U.S.
- Relative deprivation is not just about being deprived, but about feeling like one deserves better and cannot achieve it through conventional means.
- Criticisms of this theory include that it doesn't account for people who join social movements without feeling deprived, and that it's not always the most oppressed people who join.
Resource Mobilization Theory
- This theory focuses on the factors that help or hinder a social movement, such as access to resources like money, materials, and political influence.
- A social movement needs a strong organizational base to recruit members and unite them on a single idea, and a charismatic leader to focus the thoughts of members and the oppressed on the objective.
Rational Choice Theory
- This theory proposes that people compare the pros and cons of different courses of action and choose the one that is best for themselves.
- Criticisms of this theory include that it assumes all actions can be listed in order of preference, and that all preferences are transient, which is rarely the case.
Impact of Social Movements
- Social movements can affect people not actively involved in them, and can cause collective behavior like panics and crazes.
- The anti-vaccine movement is an example of a social movement that has created a panic resulting in outbreaks of diseases.
Life Cycle of Social Movements
- Social movements begin with a few ideas shared by a few, then move to the incipient stage where the public begins to take notice of a problem.
- The movement then organizes and coalesces into an organized group, raising awareness and creating change.
- A social movement's greatest achievement is to either succeed in changing its host society or adapt to failure.
- Successful social movements eventually become part of the bureaucracy they were trying to change, while failed social movements leave a mark on their society.
Examples of Social Movements
- The social movement Martin Luther began against the Catholic church resulted in Protestantism.
- The civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. resulted in the achievement of civil rights for people of color in the U.S.
- Even failed social movements like Nazism leave a lasting mark on world politics.
Social Movements
- A social movement is a group of people who come together to share a common idea and create lasting effects on their society by encouraging change or resisting it.
- Social movements require organization, leadership, and resources to gain momentum and make an impact.
Types of Social Movements
- Activist movements focus on changing some aspect of society.
- Regressive or reactionary movements actively try to resist change.
Formation of Social Movements
- A social movement forms when a group with a strong, shared idea has the resources and leadership to survive and make a difference.
- Theories of social movement formation include mass society theory, relative deprivation theory, resource mobilization theory, and rational choice theory.
Mass Society Theory
- Early in the study of social movements, people were skeptical of the motivations of those involved, seeing them as dysfunctional, irrational, and dangerous.
- This theory was prominent during the 20th century, but did not persist through the century.
Relative Deprivation Theory
- This theory focuses on the actions of groups who are oppressed or deprived of rights that others enjoy.
- The civil rights movement is an example of a response to inequality and oppression experienced by people of color in the U.S.
- Relative deprivation is not just about being deprived, but about feeling like one deserves better and cannot achieve it through conventional means.
- Criticisms of this theory include that it doesn't account for people who join social movements without feeling deprived, and that it's not always the most oppressed people who join.
Resource Mobilization Theory
- This theory focuses on the factors that help or hinder a social movement, such as access to resources like money, materials, and political influence.
- A social movement needs a strong organizational base to recruit members and unite them on a single idea, and a charismatic leader to focus the thoughts of members and the oppressed on the objective.
Rational Choice Theory
- This theory proposes that people compare the pros and cons of different courses of action and choose the one that is best for themselves.
- Criticisms of this theory include that it assumes all actions can be listed in order of preference, and that all preferences are transient, which is rarely the case.
Impact of Social Movements
- Social movements can affect people not actively involved in them, and can cause collective behavior like panics and crazes.
- The anti-vaccine movement is an example of a social movement that has created a panic resulting in outbreaks of diseases.
Life Cycle of Social Movements
- Social movements begin with a few ideas shared by a few, then move to the incipient stage where the public begins to take notice of a problem.
- The movement then organizes and coalesces into an organized group, raising awareness and creating change.
- A social movement's greatest achievement is to either succeed in changing its host society or adapt to failure.
- Successful social movements eventually become part of the bureaucracy they were trying to change, while failed social movements leave a mark on their society.
Examples of Social Movements
- The social movement Martin Luther began against the Catholic church resulted in Protestantism.
- The civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. resulted in the achievement of civil rights for people of color in the U.S.
- Even failed social movements like Nazism leave a lasting mark on world politics.
Social Movements
- A social movement is a group of people who come together to share a common idea and create lasting effects on their society by encouraging change or resisting it.
- Social movements require organization, leadership, and resources to gain momentum and make an impact.
Types of Social Movements
- Activist movements focus on changing some aspect of society.
- Regressive or reactionary movements actively try to resist change.
Formation of Social Movements
- A social movement forms when a group with a strong, shared idea has the resources and leadership to survive and make a difference.
- Theories of social movement formation include mass society theory, relative deprivation theory, resource mobilization theory, and rational choice theory.
Mass Society Theory
- Early in the study of social movements, people were skeptical of the motivations of those involved, seeing them as dysfunctional, irrational, and dangerous.
- This theory was prominent during the 20th century, but did not persist through the century.
Relative Deprivation Theory
- This theory focuses on the actions of groups who are oppressed or deprived of rights that others enjoy.
- The civil rights movement is an example of a response to inequality and oppression experienced by people of color in the U.S.
- Relative deprivation is not just about being deprived, but about feeling like one deserves better and cannot achieve it through conventional means.
- Criticisms of this theory include that it doesn't account for people who join social movements without feeling deprived, and that it's not always the most oppressed people who join.
Resource Mobilization Theory
- This theory focuses on the factors that help or hinder a social movement, such as access to resources like money, materials, and political influence.
- A social movement needs a strong organizational base to recruit members and unite them on a single idea, and a charismatic leader to focus the thoughts of members and the oppressed on the objective.
Rational Choice Theory
- This theory proposes that people compare the pros and cons of different courses of action and choose the one that is best for themselves.
- Criticisms of this theory include that it assumes all actions can be listed in order of preference, and that all preferences are transient, which is rarely the case.
Impact of Social Movements
- Social movements can affect people not actively involved in them, and can cause collective behavior like panics and crazes.
- The anti-vaccine movement is an example of a social movement that has created a panic resulting in outbreaks of diseases.
Life Cycle of Social Movements
- Social movements begin with a few ideas shared by a few, then move to the incipient stage where the public begins to take notice of a problem.
- The movement then organizes and coalesces into an organized group, raising awareness and creating change.
- A social movement's greatest achievement is to either succeed in changing its host society or adapt to failure.
- Successful social movements eventually become part of the bureaucracy they were trying to change, while failed social movements leave a mark on their society.
Examples of Social Movements
- The social movement Martin Luther began against the Catholic church resulted in Protestantism.
- The civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King Jr. resulted in the achievement of civil rights for people of color in the U.S.
- Even failed social movements like Nazism leave a lasting mark on world politics.
Learn about the power of social movements in shaping the future of a society through change and resistance. Understand the key elements that define a social movement beyond just a group of people with an idea.
Make Your Own Quizzes and Flashcards
Convert your notes into interactive study material.
Get started for free
