Chapter 15:Chapter 15:Collective Action Collective Action

and Social and Social MovementsMovements

Melanie HatfieldMelanie Hatfield

Soc 100Soc 100

Collective ActionCollective Action

When people act in unison to bring When people act in unison to bring about or resist social, political, and about or resist social, political, and economic change. economic change. RoutineRoutine NonroutineNonroutine

RoutineRoutine collective collective actions follow actions follow established patterns established patterns of behavior in of behavior in existing social existing social structures.structures.

NonroutineNonroutine collective collective actions take place actions take place when usual when usual conventions cease to conventions cease to guide social action guide social action and people bypass and people bypass established structures.established structures.

Breakdown Theory of Breakdown Theory of Nonroutine Collective Nonroutine Collective

ActionActionThree Factors: Three Factors: A group of people must be A group of people must be

economically deprived or socially economically deprived or socially rootless. rootless.

Their norms must be strained or Their norms must be strained or disrupted. disrupted.

They must lose the capacity to act They must lose the capacity to act rationally by getting caught up in the rationally by getting caught up in the madness of crowds.madness of crowds.

Most pre-1970 sociologists would Most pre-1970 sociologists would have said that Neal’s lynching was have said that Neal’s lynching was caused by one or more of the caused by one or more of the following factors:following factors: DeprivationDeprivation ContagionContagion StrainStrain

DeprivationDeprivation Research shows that no clear association between Research shows that no clear association between

fluctuations in economic well-being and the number fluctuations in economic well-being and the number of lynchings that took place each year between the of lynchings that took place each year between the 1880s and the 1930s.1880s and the 1930s.

In the case of the Neal lynching, the main In the case of the Neal lynching, the main instigators were especially not economically instigators were especially not economically deprived, nor were the socially marginal individuals.deprived, nor were the socially marginal individuals.

In most cases of collective action, leaders and early In most cases of collective action, leaders and early joiners are well-integrated members of the joiners are well-integrated members of the communities, not outsiders.communities, not outsiders.

Levels of deprivation are not commonly associated Levels of deprivation are not commonly associated with the frequency or intensity of outbursts of with the frequency or intensity of outbursts of collective action.collective action.

ContagionContagion Despite its barbarity, the Neal lynching was Despite its barbarity, the Neal lynching was

not a spontaneous and unorganized affair.not a spontaneous and unorganized affair. Sophisticated planning went into the Brewton Sophisticated planning went into the Brewton

jail raid.jail raid. Nonroutine collective action is structured by:Nonroutine collective action is structured by:

ideas and norms that emerge in the crowd itself.ideas and norms that emerge in the crowd itself. the predispositions that unite crowd members and the predispositions that unite crowd members and

predate their collective action.predate their collective action. the the degreedegree to which different types of participants to which different types of participants

adhere to emergent and preexisting norms.adhere to emergent and preexisting norms. preexisting social relationships among participants preexisting social relationships among participants

structure nonroutine collective action.structure nonroutine collective action.

StrainStrain

Lynching had deeper roots than the Lynching had deeper roots than the apparent violation of norms apparent violation of norms governing black-white relations.governing black-white relations.

Significantly, it was a means by which Significantly, it was a means by which black farm workers were disciplined black farm workers were disciplined and kept tied to the southern cotton and kept tied to the southern cotton industry after the abolition of slavery industry after the abolition of slavery threatened to disrupt the industry’s threatened to disrupt the industry’s traditional, captive labor supply.traditional, captive labor supply.

Frequency of Lynching, US, Frequency of Lynching, US, 1882-19351882-1935

Social MovementsSocial Movements

According to breakdown theory, According to breakdown theory, people usually rebel soon after social people usually rebel soon after social breakdown occurs.breakdown occurs.

In reality, however, people often find In reality, however, people often find it difficult to turn their discontent it difficult to turn their discontent into an enduring social movement.into an enduring social movement.

Solidarity TheorySolidarity Theory Research conducted since 1970 shows Research conducted since 1970 shows

that social breakdown often does not have that social breakdown often does not have the expected short-term effect.the expected short-term effect.

There are several social-structural factors There are several social-structural factors that modify the effects of social that modify the effects of social breakdown on collective action.breakdown on collective action.

Three other variables are associated with Three other variables are associated with episodes of collective action:episodes of collective action: Resource MobilizationResource Mobilization Political OpportunitiesPolitical Opportunities Social ControlSocial Control

Unions and Collective Unions and Collective Action Action

Workers have traditionally used three Workers have traditionally used three methods of collective action to advance their methods of collective action to advance their interests: unions, political parties, and interests: unions, political parties, and strikes.strikes.

Unions enable groups of workers to speak Unions enable groups of workers to speak with one voice and thus bargain more with one voice and thus bargain more effectively with their employers for better effectively with their employers for better wages, working conditions, and benefits.wages, working conditions, and benefits.

The union movement brought us many things The union movement brought us many things we take for grated today, such as the eight-we take for grated today, such as the eight-hour work day, two-day weekends, health hour work day, two-day weekends, health insurance, and pensions.insurance, and pensions.

Strikes and Resource Strikes and Resource MobilizationMobilization

The post-1945 drop in union density is partly a result The post-1945 drop in union density is partly a result of changes in America’s occupational structure.of changes in America’s occupational structure.

The industrial working class (where unionism is The industrial working class (where unionism is strongest) has shrunk and therefore become weaker.strongest) has shrunk and therefore become weaker.

In addition, beginning in the 1970s, many American In addition, beginning in the 1970s, many American employers began to contest unionization elections employers began to contest unionization elections legally. legally.

They also hired consulting firms in anti-union They also hired consulting firms in anti-union “information” campaigns aimed at keeping their “information” campaigns aimed at keeping their workplaces union-free.workplaces union-free.

Thus, a decline in organizational resources available Thus, a decline in organizational resources available to industrial workers was matched by an increase in to industrial workers was matched by an increase in anti-union resources mobilized by employers.anti-union resources mobilized by employers.

Strikes and Political Strikes and Political OpportunitiesOpportunities

In 1947 Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act, In 1947 Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act, which meant unions were no longer allowed to which meant unions were no longer allowed to force employees to become members or to force employees to become members or to require union membership as a condition for require union membership as a condition for being hired, and also allowed employers to being hired, and also allowed employers to replace striking workers.replace striking workers.

Unions thus became less effective – and Unions thus became less effective – and therefore less popular – as ways of achieving therefore less popular – as ways of achieving workers’ aims.workers’ aims.

Taft-Hartley remains the basic framework for Taft-Hartley remains the basic framework for industrial relations in the US.industrial relations in the US.

Less social organization typically mans less Less social organization typically mans less protest.protest.

Frequency of Strikes with Frequency of Strikes with 1,000+ Workers, US1,000+ Workers, US

Unemployment and the Unemployment and the Frequency of Strikes with Frequency of Strikes with

1,000+ Workers, US1,000+ Workers, US

Frame AlignmentFrame Alignment

Frame alignment is the process by Frame alignment is the process by which social-movement leaders which social-movement leaders make their activities, ideas, and make their activities, ideas, and goals congruent with the interests, goals congruent with the interests, beliefs, and values of potential new beliefs, and values of potential new recruits to their movement.recruits to their movement.

Encouraging Frame Encouraging Frame AlignmentAlignment

1.1. Social-movement leaders reach out Social-movement leaders reach out to organizations that contain people to organizations that contain people who are sympathetic to the cause. who are sympathetic to the cause.

2.2. Movement activists stress popular Movement activists stress popular values that have not been prominent values that have not been prominent in the thinking of potential recruits. in the thinking of potential recruits.

3.3. Social movements can stretch their Social movements can stretch their objectives to win recruits who aren’t objectives to win recruits who aren’t initially sympathetic to their aims. initially sympathetic to their aims.

Determinants of Collective Determinants of Collective Action and Social-Action and Social-

Movement FormationMovement Formation

Goals of New Social Goals of New Social MovementsMovements

Some new social movements provide not the rights Some new social movements provide not the rights of specific groups, but of humanity as a whole to of specific groups, but of humanity as a whole to peace, security, and a clean environment.peace, security, and a clean environment. The peace movement, the environmental movement, and The peace movement, the environmental movement, and

the human rights movement.the human rights movement. Other new social movements promote the rights of Other new social movements promote the rights of

particular groups that have been excluded from full particular groups that have been excluded from full social participation.social participation. The women’s rights movement and the gay rights The women’s rights movement and the gay rights

movement,movement, The emergence of the peace, environmental, The emergence of the peace, environmental,

human rights, gay rights, and women’s movements human rights, gay rights, and women’s movements involves the extension of citizenship rights to all involves the extension of citizenship rights to all adult members of society and to society as a whole.adult members of society and to society as a whole.

Globalization Potential of Globalization Potential of New Social MovementsNew Social Movements

New social movements increased the New social movements increased the scope of protest beyond the national scope of protest beyond the national level.level.

For example, members of the peace and For example, members of the peace and environmental movements pressed for environmental movements pressed for international agreements binding all international agreements binding all countries to protect the environment and countries to protect the environment and stop the spread of nuclear weapons.stop the spread of nuclear weapons.

Social movements went global.Social movements went global. GreenpeaceGreenpeace