confronting authority collectively:

Confronting Authority Confronting Authority Collectively:Collectively:

An introduction to Social An introduction to Social Movements in the late 20Movements in the late 20thth & early & early

2121stst Century Century

ACTUp/PETA demonstration in DC, 1996

What are social What are social movements?movements?

Sustained, collective, & public Sustained, collective, & public challenges by ordinary people challenges by ordinary people

to authorities and/or the to authorities and/or the established social order, established social order,

including some extra-including some extra-institutional tacticsinstitutional tactics

Key elements of social Key elements of social movements:movements:

The collective activity is a The collective activity is a challengechallenge to the to the pre-existing political, economic, or social pre-existing political, economic, or social status quo status quo

Challenge is Challenge is sustainedsustained over a lengthy over a lengthy period of timeperiod of time

Collective activity is primarily but not Collective activity is primarily but not exclusively fueled by exclusively fueled by ordinary peopleordinary people (not (not elites)elites)

The collective challenge is The collective challenge is publicpublic The activity involves at least some use of The activity involves at least some use of

extra-institutional tacticsextra-institutional tactics

Soc. Movements: Soc. Movements: ChallengeChallenge

Ruckus in Seattle. Photo: The Ruckus Society

Act Up’s Action at the Vatican Mission to the U.N., New York, October 29th, 2003  

Soc. Movements: Soc. Movements: sustainedsustained

AntiAbortion/Pro-Life Demonstrators… Fighting Roe V Wade since 1973

The Abolitionist movement to stop the death penalty, dating back to the late 19th century. Above, anti-death penalty protesters march towards the jail in Terre Haute, Indiana on June 10 2001, a day before the execution there of Timothy McVeigh.Photo: Michael Conroy, AP

Social Movements: Social Movements: collectivecollective

Bangladeshi Opponents of the U.S.-led war in Iraq, 2002.

Soc. Movements: Soc. Movements: ordinary peopleordinary people (mostly) (mostly)

The March on Washington, 1963

Soc. Movements: Soc. Movements: publicpublic

Photos: http://www.circleoflifefoundation.org

Soc. Movements: (include some) Soc. Movements: (include some) extra-institutional protestextra-institutional protest

What’s the difference between What’s the difference between a social movement and a ….a social movement and a ….

Revolution? Revolution? Insurrection? Insurrection? Terrorist attack? Terrorist attack? Electoral campaign?Electoral campaign? coup d’etat?coup d’etat?

Remember!Remember!

1- participants1- participants

2- power holders who are the 2- power holders who are the objects of the claimsobjects of the claims

3- subject populations on whose 3- subject populations on whose behalf activists are making claimsbehalf activists are making claims

(Charles Tilly)

Social Movements Always Include a triangle of relations between:

Is it a movement?Is it a movement? A formula from Prof. TillyA formula from Prof. Tilly

Two soldiers awaiting a helicopter to evacuate their fallen comrade from the jungle covered hills in Long Khanh Province.By Pfc. L. Paul Epley, 1966National Archives and Records Administration.

A female demonstrator offers a flower to military police on guard at the Pentagon during an anti-Vietnam demonstration in 1967.National Archives and Records Administration

What are the Building Blocks of What are the Building Blocks of Social Movements?Social Movements?

Who or what, in other words, actually makes up a social movement? What sorts of institutions, organizations, etc.?

Who has ever Who has ever participatedparticipated

in a social movement?in a social movement?

Uses of social movement Uses of social movement theorytheory

Explanatory and predictive valueExplanatory and predictive value Encourages us to include informal Encourages us to include informal

politics and ordinary people in political politics and ordinary people in political analysisanalysis

Encourages cross-national comparisonsEncourages cross-national comparisons Provides common vocabulary & set of Provides common vocabulary & set of

conceptsconcepts

Problems with current social Problems with current social movement theory?movement theory?

Grounded in mostly non-violent “western” Grounded in mostly non-violent “western” case studiescase studies

Focus on “good” social movementsFocus on “good” social movements Excludes ethnic and national movementsExcludes ethnic and national movements Overly descriptive; not predictive enough?Overly descriptive; not predictive enough?

Social Movements as Studied Social Movements as Studied in the Social Sciencesin the Social Sciences

Political ScienceSociology