Social Movements
Currently there has been a shift in new social movements. Whereas old social movements focused on resources and were either a labor struggle or a national struggle, new social movements have focused on a philosophical change, a change in people's attitudes. Another big difference between old and new movements is now social movements have gone global reaching a much larger audience then before.
The shift from localized to global social movements is an important one. I went to a Catholic school and one of the big issues always mentioned was sweatshops. Now, since social movements have become global more and more people are becoming aware of sweatshops. If these movements were not global no one would even be aware of how bad these sweatshops really are because it is not happening in their own neighborhoods. The "not in my neighborhood" mentality, while still present, has shrunk because of the introduction of global social movements. Social movements are no longer individualized and contained in a certain area, now social movements effect and are supported by a variety of people, usually making them more successful.
The notion of a new form of social movements comes about from social change. Social movements develop when the government fails to act and people are forced to take action. Also, when people's values change, new social movements emerge. Two recent examples of social movements that developed from a change in value's have been environmental movements and gay rights movements.
The environmental movement has been a big issue in recent years and the focus on "going green" is just about everywhere. Not only are there grassroots organizations, but environmental movements have spilled over to the media and are even being endorsed by certain celebrities. This movement can also be seen in supermarkets, where a shift from plastic and paper bags to canvas reusable bags is occurring.
The gay rights movement is also an important movement that has sprung out of a change in values. Not only have homosexuals been fighting for acceptance and gay rights now there has been a push for gay marriage. This movement also shows the cycle social movements go through, which I'll discuss in another post.
In an analysis of successful social movement Della Porta and Diani cite four important questions to ask:
1. What is the structural change they're looking for? How will it effect the world?
2. What sort of cultural representation do movements use? What are their symbols, people, etc.?
3. How does the movement motivate individuals to join?
4. How does the social movement deal with the social context?
These are important questions that should be asked by those studying social movements and those planning social movements.
The shift from localized to global social movements is an important one. I went to a Catholic school and one of the big issues always mentioned was sweatshops. Now, since social movements have become global more and more people are becoming aware of sweatshops. If these movements were not global no one would even be aware of how bad these sweatshops really are because it is not happening in their own neighborhoods. The "not in my neighborhood" mentality, while still present, has shrunk because of the introduction of global social movements. Social movements are no longer individualized and contained in a certain area, now social movements effect and are supported by a variety of people, usually making them more successful.
The notion of a new form of social movements comes about from social change. Social movements develop when the government fails to act and people are forced to take action. Also, when people's values change, new social movements emerge. Two recent examples of social movements that developed from a change in value's have been environmental movements and gay rights movements.
The environmental movement has been a big issue in recent years and the focus on "going green" is just about everywhere. Not only are there grassroots organizations, but environmental movements have spilled over to the media and are even being endorsed by certain celebrities. This movement can also be seen in supermarkets, where a shift from plastic and paper bags to canvas reusable bags is occurring.
The gay rights movement is also an important movement that has sprung out of a change in values. Not only have homosexuals been fighting for acceptance and gay rights now there has been a push for gay marriage. This movement also shows the cycle social movements go through, which I'll discuss in another post.
In an analysis of successful social movement Della Porta and Diani cite four important questions to ask:
1. What is the structural change they're looking for? How will it effect the world?
2. What sort of cultural representation do movements use? What are their symbols, people, etc.?
3. How does the movement motivate individuals to join?
4. How does the social movement deal with the social context?
These are important questions that should be asked by those studying social movements and those planning social movements.
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