9.1 Theories of Social Movements and Collective Action

Social movements are powerful forces for change. They emerge from collective action, driven by shared grievances and goals. This topic explores key theories explaining how and why movements form, grow, and impact society.

From classical explanations to modern approaches, we'll examine how resources, identity, and political context shape movements. We'll also look at strategies activists use to mobilize support and challenge power structures.

Classical Theories

Early Explanations of Collective Action

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• Collective Behavior Theory explains social movements emerge from spontaneous, unorganized crowd behavior
  • Emphasizes irrational, emotional aspects of collective action
  • Views social movements as reactions to societal strain or breakdown
  • Critiqued for overlooking organized, strategic elements of movements
• Relative Deprivation Theory posits social movements arise from perceived disparities between expectations and reality
  • Focuses on subjective feelings of disadvantage or injustice
  • Explains why movements emerge even when objective conditions may not be dire
  • Helps understand motivations behind protest movements (civil rights, labor movements)

Resource-Based Approaches

• Resource Mobilization Theory shifts focus to organizational and strategic aspects of social movements
  • Emphasizes importance of resources (money, labor, legitimacy) in movement success
  • Views social movement participants as rational actors making cost-benefit calculations
  • Explains how movements sustain themselves over time through resource acquisition and management
• Political Process Theory examines how political context shapes social movement opportunities
  • Highlights role of political structures and power relationships
  • Introduces concept of political opportunity structures
  • Explains why similar grievances lead to movements in some contexts but not others
  • Analyzes interactions between movements and political institutions (government responses, policy changes)

Contemporary Approaches

Identity and Culture in Social Movements

• New Social Movement Theory focuses on post-industrial movements centered on identity and quality of life issues
  • Emphasizes cultural and symbolic aspects of collective action
  • Examines movements around environmentalism, feminism, LGBTQ+ rights
  • Explores how movements create and maintain collective identities
  • Analyzes role of personal transformation in social change
• Frame Analysis investigates how movements construct and communicate meaning
  • Examines processes of diagnostic, prognostic, and motivational framing
  • Explores how movements align frames with cultural values and beliefs
  • Analyzes frame contests between movements and opponents
  • Helps understand messaging strategies in social media activism

Networks and Dynamics of Contention

• Social Network Theory examines relational structures in social movements
  • Analyzes patterns of ties between individuals and organizations
  • Explores how network structures affect recruitment and mobilization
  • Examines diffusion of tactics and ideas through movement networks
  • Helps understand role of social media in contemporary movements
• Contentious Politics integrates various theoretical approaches to study dynamics of collective claim-making
  • Focuses on interactions between challengers and power-holders
  • Examines contentious episodes across different scales and contexts
  • Analyzes mechanisms and processes common to various forms of contention
  • Helps understand connections between social movements, revolutions, and other forms of political struggle

Key Concepts

Strategies and Tactics of Movements

• Repertoires of Contention describe sets of protest tactics available to movements in specific contexts
  • Includes both conventional (petitions, demonstrations) and unconventional (civil disobedience, digital activism) tactics
  • Evolves over time as movements innovate and adapt
  • Varies across cultures and political systems
  • Influences movement outcomes and public perceptions
• Cycles of Protest refer to periods of intensified conflict and contention across social system
  • Characterized by rapid diffusion of collective action
  • Involves creation of new or transformed collective action frames
  • Features emergence of new organizations and empowerment of existing ones
  • Helps understand waves of activism (1960s civil rights movement, Arab Spring)

Movement Organization and Identity

• Collective Identity encompasses shared definitions of a group based on common interests and experiences
  • Crucial for movement cohesion and sustained participation
  • Constructed through interaction, negotiation, and framing processes
  • Can be based on various factors (class, gender, race, ideology)
  • Influences movement strategies and goals
• Mobilizing Structures refer to formal and informal vehicles through which people engage in collective action
  • Includes social movement organizations, informal networks, and communication channels
  • Facilitates recruitment, resource acquisition, and coordination of activities
  • Can range from hierarchical organizations to decentralized networks
  • Adapts to changing political and technological contexts

Political Context and Framing

• Political Opportunity Structure describes features of political system that facilitate or constrain social movement activity
  • Includes factors like openness of political system, elite alignments, and state capacity for repression
  • Influences timing and form of collective action
  • Helps explain cross-national differences in social movement activity
  • Interacts with movement strategies and resources to shape outcomes
• Cultural Framing involves strategic efforts to shape understandings of issues and motivate action
  • Includes processes of frame alignment, frame resonance, and frame contests
  • Crucial for mobilizing supporters and neutralizing opponents
  • Interacts with broader cultural context and discursive opportunities
  • Influences public opinion and policy outcomes
  • Adapts to changing media landscapes and communication technologies