More specifically, we looked at the following theories that try to understand the origins of social movements:
deprivation theory
; resource mobilization theory; political process theory; structural strain theory; and new social movement theories.
Aberle’s Four Types of Social Movements: Based on who a movement is trying to change and how much change a movement is advocating, Aberle identified four types of social movements:
redemptive, reformative, revolutionary and alternative
. Other categories have been used to distinguish between types of social movements.
Social movement theory is
an interdisciplinary study within the social sciences
that generally seeks to explain why social mobilization occurs, the forms under which it manifests, as well as potential social, cultural, and political consequences, such as the creation and functioning of social movements.
- 5 Types of Social Movements. Reform movements, Revolutionary movements, Religious movements, Alternative movements, Resistance movements,
- Reform Movements. …
- Revolutionary Movements. …
- Religious Movements. …
- Alternative Movements. …
- Resistance Movements. …
- Reform Movement Example. …
- Revolutionary Movement Example.
Most theories of social movements are called
collective action theories
, indicating the purposeful nature of this form of collective behavior.
Social movements strive for social change.
Objectives, ideology, leadership, programmes and organisation
are the major components of social movements. They are the spirit of democracy and dynamics of society.
- Collective Action: Social movement undoubtedly involves collective action. …
- Oriented Towards Social Change: A Social movement is generally oriented towards bringing about social change. …
- Ideology Behind the Movement: …
- Organizational Framework: …
- The Techniques and Results:
Scope: A movement can be either
reform or radical
. A reform movement advocates changing some norms or laws while a radical movement is dedicated to changing value systems in some fundamental way.
Sociologists have looked at social movements and offered several theories to explain how they develop. Three of those theories –
deprivation theory, mass-society theory and structure strain theory
– will be discussed in this lesson.
We know that social movements can occur on the local, national, or even global stage. … Examples include
antinuclear groups
, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), the Dreamers movement for immigration reform, and the Human Rights Campaign’s advocacy for Marriage Equality.
Social movement,
a loosely organized but sustained campaign in support of a social goal
, typically either the implementation or the prevention of a change in society’s structure or values. Although social movements differ in size, they are all essentially collective.
The resource mobilization theory
invokes the importance of the availability of suitable resources in the birth of a social movement. This theory thus says that when some individuals in a society have certain grievances, they may be able to mobilize necessary resources to do something to alleviate those grievances.
The value-added theory recommends that
for any social movement to emerge, certain determinants are necessary
. … Once they realise that the existing political power is unable to address the issues that are threatening the wellbeing of society, it becomes easier for any group to organise or develop the social movement.
- Physical Environment:
- Demographic (biological) Factor:
- Cultural Factor:
- Ideational Factor:
- Economic Factor:
- Political Factor:
The old social movements clearly saw
reorganisation of power relations
as a central goal. … So the ‘new’ social movements were not about changing the distribution of power in society but about quality-of-life issues such as having a clean environment.
Violence is not an intrinsic feature of social movements
. Some movements are avow- edly nonviolent; others use violence as a tactical weapon to be employed only under the most extreme circumstances; for others again, violence is a natural and necessary resource in the struggle.
