Social movements

Topic: Social Movements
Subject: social action & social movement social change
BSW & MSW study material
social work profession

1. Social movements Presented by Rahul Mahida

2. Background If we look back upon the history of any society ,we would definitely find that much of it consist of the stories of the Struggles of groups within the society to change some aspect of the culture. This is one reason why history books are filled with content of the movements, and the terrors of revolutions. The crusades, the reformation , the French and American revolutions, the anti-slavery movement, the labour movement, fascism and communism- these like many other social movements have been accompanied by far reading changes in the societies which they touched. Social Movements are conventionally regarded as part of the subject matter of collective behaviour , but they might just have as well be viewed as an aspect of social change. The study of social movements is primarily a study of social change as well as cultural change of a changing values and norms. In other words of S herif and Sherif, “ A social movement is always possessed by a sense of mission.” Hence, Attention is focused on the interaction of conscious, striving human beings as part of an emergent collectivity which is the social movement.

3. What is the social movement? Social movements are a type of group action. They are large, sometimes informal, groupings of individuals or organizations which focus on specific political or social issues. In other words, they carry out, resist, or undo a social change. Social movements are a type group action, They are large informal grouping of individuals or organization focused special political or social issues, in other words on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change.

4. Definition: Social movement Social movement can be defined as the Collective efforts of individual or groups are organized into social movements to project social change. Social movements refer to any persistent, organized, collective efforts to resist existing structures . Bulmer defines the movement simply as “a collective enterprise to establish a new order of life.” It is a large, fairly permanent group of individuals who attempt to influence the future of society by means of popular action, rather than leaving policy decisions to elected legislative bodies ( Steward & Glynn, 1979:245 ) In general , Social Movement is then a type of collectivity , it is not a cultural trend or a precipitous cultural change. There is of course, a close relationship between social movements and cultural change but they constitute different aspects of social reality and of study.

5. Continue.. SOCIAL MOVEMENT is the activity of diffused collectively oriented towards changing the social order. According to Turner and Killian(1972):- SOCIAL MOVEMENT is a collective behaviour based on some continuity to promote or resist change in society or group of which it is a part. It is characterized by (i) Collective action which is initiated, organized and sustained,(ii) Ideology, and (iii)Oriented towards social change

6. Characteristics of Social Movement Expresses the dissatisfaction of people The members of the movement expect that something will be done about the matter Social movements are highly organized Group of people who feel very strongly about a matter ‘Propaganda’- when public attention is being drawn to matters Influences public opinion Have the potential to bring about social change May transform the society Potential strengths should not be over or underestimated E.g. ANC movement before democracy in April 1994 which initiated transformation in society

7. Types of social movements Resistance movements Aimed at resisting changes that have already occurred in society. E.g. against organ transplants Reform movements Movements started to prohibit the showing of permissive scenes and violence on TV. E.g. Movements against the e-toll system of our government. Revolutionary movements These movements want to replace existing orders with totally different structure. E.g. boycotts held during apartheid. Expressive movements These movements concentrate on change among their members in order to improve their quality of life. E.g. Hippies

8. Social movement and association Although the study of social movements as dynamic collectivises has been contrasted with the study of the structure and function of established relatively, stable association, there is a constant and pervasive relationship between these two phases of social life. Social movements do not develop out of a vacuum or a state of complete social disorganization. The members of a social movement are members of a society and of one or more groups within that society each with its own organization and norms. As the members attempt collectively to revise preserve, or restore the social organization and the normative order of these relatively stable, pre-existing groups they act as participants in a social movement. Thee social movement may be internal to a particular society or association, or it may cut across group boundaries. A social movement may encompass within itself associations whose members participate by virtue of their group membership rather than as discrete, unattached individuals. Finally, one of the most significant end products of social movements it the emergence and stabilization of new institutions and new forms of social organization.

9. Social Movement and social change The intrinsic characteristics of culture which foster continuous change should not be discounted any more than the striving of social movements but should be dismissed as epiphenomenal. Culture changes continuously through the unwitting, uncoordinated actions of individuals who not only adjust to it, but change it in minute details. But changes in society structure and normative order which , in retrospect, are seen as major changes, usually come about through a process of interaction within the society, with people struggling purposively and collectively to promote or resist change. In the course of cultural evolution, new ideas, visions of new and different order, emerge in the minds of individuals. Yet a social movement is not simply a creature of ideas, Its consequences are not a structure reflecting a blueprint drawn by the leaders and adhered to faithfully by the followers, rather throughout the course of the movement there is a continuous formulation, revision and reformulation of the values and norms of the movement. There is constant interaction between various types of leaders, between the leadership and the followers, between the movement and its public, and between its opposition. As new values and norms become standardized as part of the culture of the movement the member develop a commitment to them. Analysis of changes in culture, divorced from the activities of the men who create and use this culture, presses on us the conclusion that these changes are the inevitable result of inexorable laws of cultural change.

10. Norms of social movement One of the characteristic of a group is a system of norms governing the behaviour of its members towards each other and toward members of out coming a group, the social movement also develops norms. Since, the Movement is oriented basically towards conflict, these norms relate particularly to inter –movement discipline. T hey require of the member behaviour which will symbolize his loyalty to the movement, strengthen his identification with it, and in some cases, set him apart from non-members. In some movements, a norm of absolute, unquestioning obedience to the leaders develops. This is most likely to occur as control tendencies increase and the explicit values are pushed into background. Thus the loyal communist is not expected to interpret the movement’s values for himself, he is required instead to follow the party line and the current interpretation of the values by the leaders. The requirement for obedience need not be so strict , however. For example, the Congress of Racial equality, an association within the negro protest movement has an elites of active members who commit themselves to rigid discipline, particularly with reference to non-violence. But it also has a class of associate members who support the goal of the organization but do not feel that they can submit to the discipline. Obviously that more diffuse and loosely organized a movement is, the less likely it is that such a straight norm will develop.

11. Structure of social movement As important as the values which a social movement embodies are, it must still be remembered that the movement consists of people in interaction. As the members of the collectivity interact in the promotion of the values, a structure emerges. Roles are defined and differential evaluations are made of individual and groups who are recognised as occupying different positions in the developing structure. Such evaluation are made not only by participants in the movement, but outside observers. Indeed, It is as a structure develops, with leaders and their followers being identified as peculiarly and intensively concerned with the promotion of certain values that the members of a society recognize that a social movement are identified by the names of prominent leaders while the names of so many others immediately call to mind specific individuals who are regarded as personifications of the movements they lead.

12. Presented by Rahul Mahida Thanks For more content(related to social work and HRM/labour practice visit and follow https://www.Slideshare.Net/rahulmahida1