We begin the final unit of Sociology 101. You have learned a lot about the social world around you. How it works, the key concepts, and major theories are all yours to guide you in a world that will never look the same to you as it did before taking this course. This final unit will help you to better understand how change can happen around us. You will see how individual human agency at the micro level, and institutional social forces at the macro level, interact to create collective action and social movements. Consider the last time you were at an event where someone starting clapping applause. Maybe it was an entertainment event or some academic talk you attended. When the clapping started, did you clap as well even if you didn’t really like or agree with the presentation? Who started the clapping? Who was the last to keep clapping? How long and loud was the clapping? This is a very small example of collective action so keep it in mind as you go through the material in this unit.
Topics
This unit is divided into the following topics:
What is a Social Movement?
Types of Social Movements
Process of Social Movements
Learning Outcomes
When you have completed this unit, you should be able to:
Explain what constitutes a social movement and its unique characteristics
Investigate the different types of social movements that exist and the shape they take
Critique how the internet, social media, and mobile phones have transformed the nature of social movements
Investigate the process of resource acquisition and mobilization in social movements
Activity Checklist
Here is a checklist of learning activities you will benefit from in completing this unit. You may find it useful for planning your work.
Learning Activities
View images and list Collective Behaviours (15 minutes)
Brainstorm Types of Social Movements (15 minutes)
Watch Rosa Parks (15 minutes)
Watch Social Network Analysis
Read Social Media (30 minutes)
Assessment
See the Assessment section in Moodle for assignment details and due dates.
Resources
Here are the resources you will need to complete this unit.
Real-Life Sociology: A Canadian Approach by Anabel Quan-Haase and Lorne Tepperman.
Other online resources will be provided in the unit.
7.1 What is a Social Movement?
A social movement is a collective activity that involves an organized group of people who are resisting or promoting change. Your text focuses on the more politically and socially aware movements, but any group action, like clapping, should be understood as a collective action. Fashion trends and fads are examples. The adoption of new technologies by a few people who then influence others to also adopt that technology is an example of a social movement. Religious gatherings are a good example of collective movements. Music and art genres are also examples of collective social change. Consider the music you like to listen to. Is it new music? If so, where did it come from and why is it now popular? It should be understood that riots and other forms of unacceptable social actions are collective as well.
Activity: Collective Behaviours
Take a look at the series of images included below and list at list at least 10 different examples of collective behaviours – whether formal social movements or not. Note you may be asked to compare your list with your peers.
With that overview we can now focus on the specific types of social movements that deal with political and ideological social issues. The purpose of social movements or collective actions is to provide individuals access to the power of group in shaping social behaviour. One person standing on a street corner who yells that the sky is falling is less effective than if a large group of people organized around the same belief.
Questions to Consider
Have you ever been given the opportunity (i.e. been invited) to join a social movement?
If so, what choice did you make around whether or not to participate, and why?
If not, what aspects of your social networks do you think might be restricting (for good or ill) your invitation?
7.2 Types of Social Movements
In Topic 1 we saw that not all collective action is in the form of a formal social movement. The image below provides a model of different types of social movements based on who is changed and how much change is involved.
Use the typology listed above and think of one example of each of the four quadrants listed. Use an internet search for Arbele (1966) if you need some help.
You should feel quite comfortable at this stage in the course in applying sociological theoretical to the subject of social movements. Functionalists, although not listed in this chapter, are concerned with social change and so they would look at orderly, incremental change as best for society, or what your text calls a Bourgeois revolution. Symbolic interactions might focus on the meaning of a protest or the symbols associated with “taking a knee” or “burning a flag”. Conflict theorists would look to their founder, Karl Marx, who thought revolution was the only way the powerful would give up their power. He encouraged armed conflict as way of achieving change. Three waves of feminist theory each focus on different strategies for change. The first wave focused on obtaining economic and political rights, the second on securing economic equality and control over reproduction, and the third wave focused on intersecting intuitions of oppression and just middle-class White women’s issues.
Questions to Consider
If social movements result in change or resistance to change, how should deviant behaviour by those not accepting the norms be viewed?
When is deviant behaviour a good thing and when is not? Does it have anything to do with the end result or the ones who record history?
Activity: Applying Theories to Social Movements
Scroll through these images and apply your knowledge of the main sociological theories to inform your answers.
Rosa Parks was an African American woman from Montgomery Alabama. On December 1, 1955, Parks rejected bus driver James F. Blake’s order to give up her seat in the “colored section” to a white passenger, after the Whites-only section was filled. Watch the brief video of Rosa Parks and describe both the individual and social factors that were at work in role in the social movement of racial equality in the USA.
7.3 Process of Social Movements
Social change doesn’t just happen. There are individual humans making millions of decisions that are involved, but it is more than just individuals; it is social. It takes time to develop and it is a process. We might ask why some situations turn into riots and others remain as peaceful demonstrations.
The social and collective aspects of this unit are what we need to focus on. How do individual beliefs and behaviours coalesce and turn into a group behaviour? Conversely, how do group behaviours influence individuals to behaviour differently than would have if they were alone? Figure 16.1, Table 16.1, and Table 16.4 shown below provide ways of understanding the stages or development of a social movement.
Questions to Consider
Have you ever been part of a cause or social movement? Can you identify different stages or phases of the movement when you were a part of it? What got it going and why do you think it faded away if it did?
One way to better understand how trends, fads, social movements, and social change takes place is to focus on the social nature of change. When individuals make decisions, they don’t do so in a social vacuum. It might be the result of a friend suggesting a new style or new viewpoint on a political issue. It probably involves the role of experts or people we trust passing on information to us. People in positions of authority may direct us to new ways of thinking or doing. These interactions are part of networks. Think of a group of friends as a network. Think of the social media accounts you follow as a network. Sometimes these networks are formal (lawyers in an association) or informal (people we play online video games with). Regardless of formal or informal, networks become a means of spreading ideas and practices. With the rise of social media, the establishment and expansion of networks is greater than any time in human history.
Activity: Social Network Analysis
Take a look at the video below and Pew Research link below to get a better overview of social network analysis and the role of social media in the process of social movements. Take a few minutes to brainstorm about networks that you might belong to. You will probably be surprised by how many different groups you are a part of. Also take some time to identify key nodes, social media platforms or influential people in one or two of those networks.
In Unit 7 we completed our overview of sociology by looking at social movements and collective action. Our focus was on the way this topic looks at involving individuals into larger social action, but we also saw that collective action can apply to trends, fads, and even destructive social behaviour likes riots. Types of social actions were described along with a brief summary of some recent prominent Western examples of social actions. A variety of small theoretical perspectives were introduced, such as network theory and new social movement theory. These mid level theories seek to provide guidance for how collective action is the result of relationships. Resource mobilization theory builds on the relationship aspect of the previous two by including the resources needed to start and keep a movement going. Social movements have a life cycle not dissimilar to new religious movements as we saw in Unit 5. Social movements are one of the best examples of how individual human behaviour both influences society and is in turn influenced by it.
Assessment
Quiz 16
After completing this unit, including the learning activities, you are asked to complete the online quiz reviewing material from chapter 16.
Each chapter quiz is worth 1% of your grade.
Go to Quizzes in the main Assessment tab for access to Quiz 16. Note that the quizzes will be administered in the Learning Lab.
Be sure to practice with the online quizzes from the textbook.
Assignment: Reflective Journal
The Reflective Journal assignment is a chance to present your understanding and application of the course material, ask questions, and clarify issues. We are looking for evidence that you are engaging the course material. Examine the learning outcomes for each unit and ensure that your journal addresses each outcome. Include your thoughts from the learning activities and how you apply the concepts to your life and current events.
Refer to the Assessment section in Moodle for all other assignment details and due dates.
Checking your Learning
Congratulations! You made it to the end. You now are sociologically informed about the world around you.
Unit 7 Social Movements and Collective Action
Overview
We begin the final unit of Sociology 101. You have learned a lot about the social world around you. How it works, the key concepts, and major theories are all yours to guide you in a world that will never look the same to you as it did before taking this course. This final unit will help you to better understand how change can happen around us. You will see how individual human agency at the micro level, and institutional social forces at the macro level, interact to create collective action and social movements. Consider the last time you were at an event where someone starting clapping applause. Maybe it was an entertainment event or some academic talk you attended. When the clapping started, did you clap as well even if you didn’t really like or agree with the presentation? Who started the clapping? Who was the last to keep clapping? How long and loud was the clapping? This is a very small example of collective action so keep it in mind as you go through the material in this unit.
Topics
This unit is divided into the following topics:
Learning Outcomes
When you have completed this unit, you should be able to:
Activity Checklist
Here is a checklist of learning activities you will benefit from in completing this unit. You may find it useful for planning your work.
Learning Activities
Assessment
Resources
Here are the resources you will need to complete this unit.
7.1 What is a Social Movement?
A social movement is a collective activity that involves an organized group of people who are resisting or promoting change. Your text focuses on the more politically and socially aware movements, but any group action, like clapping, should be understood as a collective action. Fashion trends and fads are examples. The adoption of new technologies by a few people who then influence others to also adopt that technology is an example of a social movement. Religious gatherings are a good example of collective movements. Music and art genres are also examples of collective social change. Consider the music you like to listen to. Is it new music? If so, where did it come from and why is it now popular? It should be understood that riots and other forms of unacceptable social actions are collective as well.
Activity: Collective Behaviours
Take a look at the series of images included below and list at list at least 10 different examples of collective behaviours – whether formal social movements or not. Note you may be asked to compare your list with your peers.
With that overview we can now focus on the specific types of social movements that deal with political and ideological social issues. The purpose of social movements or collective actions is to provide individuals access to the power of group in shaping social behaviour. One person standing on a street corner who yells that the sky is falling is less effective than if a large group of people organized around the same belief.
Questions to Consider
7.2 Types of Social Movements
In Topic 1 we saw that not all collective action is in the form of a formal social movement. The image below provides a model of different types of social movements based on who is changed and how much change is involved.
Source: Wikipedia
Activity: Types of Social Movements
Use the typology listed above and think of one example of each of the four quadrants listed. Use an internet search for Arbele (1966) if you need some help.
You should feel quite comfortable at this stage in the course in applying sociological theoretical to the subject of social movements. Functionalists, although not listed in this chapter, are concerned with social change and so they would look at orderly, incremental change as best for society, or what your text calls a Bourgeois revolution. Symbolic interactions might focus on the meaning of a protest or the symbols associated with “taking a knee” or “burning a flag”. Conflict theorists would look to their founder, Karl Marx, who thought revolution was the only way the powerful would give up their power. He encouraged armed conflict as way of achieving change. Three waves of feminist theory each focus on different strategies for change. The first wave focused on obtaining economic and political rights, the second on securing economic equality and control over reproduction, and the third wave focused on intersecting intuitions of oppression and just middle-class White women’s issues.
Questions to Consider
If social movements result in change or resistance to change, how should deviant behaviour by those not accepting the norms be viewed?
When is deviant behaviour a good thing and when is not? Does it have anything to do with the end result or the ones who record history?
Activity: Applying Theories to Social Movements
Scroll through these images and apply your knowledge of the main sociological theories to inform your answers.
Players in a football match. (https://www.coloradopols.com/diary/117258/womp-womp-colin-kaepernick-edition)
Quote from Mahatma Gandhi. (https://www.goalcast.com/2017/03/20/top-20-inspiring-mahatma-gandhi-quotes/)
Rosa Park sitting on a bus. (https://www.dailydot.com/via/rosa-parks-black-lives-matter/)
Activity: Rosa Parks
Rosa Parks was an African American woman from Montgomery Alabama. On December 1, 1955, Parks rejected bus driver James F. Blake’s order to give up her seat in the “colored section” to a white passenger, after the Whites-only section was filled. Watch the brief video of Rosa Parks and describe both the individual and social factors that were at work in role in the social movement of racial equality in the USA.
7.3 Process of Social Movements
Social change doesn’t just happen. There are individual humans making millions of decisions that are involved, but it is more than just individuals; it is social. It takes time to develop and it is a process. We might ask why some situations turn into riots and others remain as peaceful demonstrations.
The social and collective aspects of this unit are what we need to focus on. How do individual beliefs and behaviours coalesce and turn into a group behaviour? Conversely, how do group behaviours influence individuals to behaviour differently than would have if they were alone? Figure 16.1, Table 16.1, and Table 16.4 shown below provide ways of understanding the stages or development of a social movement.
Questions to Consider
One way to better understand how trends, fads, social movements, and social change takes place is to focus on the social nature of change. When individuals make decisions, they don’t do so in a social vacuum. It might be the result of a friend suggesting a new style or new viewpoint on a political issue. It probably involves the role of experts or people we trust passing on information to us. People in positions of authority may direct us to new ways of thinking or doing. These interactions are part of networks. Think of a group of friends as a network. Think of the social media accounts you follow as a network. Sometimes these networks are formal (lawyers in an association) or informal (people we play online video games with). Regardless of formal or informal, networks become a means of spreading ideas and practices. With the rise of social media, the establishment and expansion of networks is greater than any time in human history.
Activity: Social Network Analysis
Take a look at the video below and Pew Research link below to get a better overview of social network analysis and the role of social media in the process of social movements. Take a few minutes to brainstorm about networks that you might belong to. You will probably be surprised by how many different groups you are a part of. Also take some time to identify key nodes, social media platforms or influential people in one or two of those networks.
Activism and Social Media
Summary
In Unit 7 we completed our overview of sociology by looking at social movements and collective action. Our focus was on the way this topic looks at involving individuals into larger social action, but we also saw that collective action can apply to trends, fads, and even destructive social behaviour likes riots. Types of social actions were described along with a brief summary of some recent prominent Western examples of social actions. A variety of small theoretical perspectives were introduced, such as network theory and new social movement theory. These mid level theories seek to provide guidance for how collective action is the result of relationships. Resource mobilization theory builds on the relationship aspect of the previous two by including the resources needed to start and keep a movement going. Social movements have a life cycle not dissimilar to new religious movements as we saw in Unit 5. Social movements are one of the best examples of how individual human behaviour both influences society and is in turn influenced by it.
Assessment
Quiz 16
After completing this unit, including the learning activities, you are asked to complete the online quiz reviewing material from chapter 16.
Each chapter quiz is worth 1% of your grade.
Go to Quizzes in the main Assessment tab for access to Quiz 16. Note that the quizzes will be administered in the Learning Lab.
Be sure to practice with the online quizzes from the textbook.
Assignment: Reflective Journal
The Reflective Journal assignment is a chance to present your understanding and application of the course material, ask questions, and clarify issues. We are looking for evidence that you are engaging the course material. Examine the learning outcomes for each unit and ensure that your journal addresses each outcome. Include your thoughts from the learning activities and how you apply the concepts to your life and current events.
Checking your Learning
Congratulations! You made it to the end. You now are sociologically informed about the world around you.