Unit 4 - Social Movements

Social movement

refers to a group engaged in an organised effort to achieve social change

Social change

refers to the adjustments and fluctuations in views, values and norms and structures in society in response to various factors such as laws, the actions and interests of specific groups of people, government policies, available resources and the way society is organised

Nature of social movements

is the context of the social movement and includes the type and stage of the movement as well as why it has come into being

Purpose of social movements

of a social movement is its aims or the goals it wants to achieve

Types of social movements - alternative

seek to achieve limited change(s) within the individual

Types of social movements - alternative evidence

Stop the Coward Punch

- Founded by former boxer Danny Green in 2012

- Aims to prevent unprovoked assaults in order to “educate people of the risks, so they don’t make a choice they’ll regret for the rest of their lives” by raising awareness and promoting education

- In 2024, the Queensland Government committed $800,000 over four years to support the campaign’s curriculum-aligned lessons in secondary schools helping communities “work with law enforcement agencies” to reduce violence (Queensland Government, 2024)

- In conjunction with Perth Football League a “45 min online module” mandatory for “all players found guilty of striking” helping reduce the violence in football

Types of social movements - redemptive

advocate for major or radical change within an individual

Types of social movements - redemptive evidence

Alcoholics Anonymous

- AA provides support through group meetings and the Twelve Steps program, encouraging spiritual growth and long-term recovery

- In April 2025, AA celebrated its 80th anniversary in Australia with a national convention in Sydney, reinforcing its commitment to healing unity (AA Australia National Convention, 2025)

- The guiding principle is that “the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking”

Types of social movements - reformative

seek to change a specific group or society in a limited way, focusing on a particular facet of the social structure to reform society as a whole

Types of social movements - reformative evidence

Animals Australia

- campaigns to ban live animal exports, submitting formal complaints to the Department of Agriculture, highlighting that “export companies cannot be trusted to act humanely or lawfully” (Animals Australia, 2024)

- Through petitions, media outreach and lobbying the movement aims to reform laws and public attitudes while working within existing political structures

- Attracting “thousands [of protesters] in every capital city” who through “caring eyes could see the suffering animals were enduring” (Animals Australia, 2025)

Types of social movements - revolutionary

advocate for a reorganisation of society as a whole, through seeking radical change to society

Types of social movements - revolutionary evidence

French Revolution

- Led to the overthrow of the monarchy, the execution of King Louis XVI, and the establishment of a republic

- Historical accounts describe how “the social and political structure of France was completely changed” through mass mobilisation and violent revolt (Britannica, 2025)

- A major change was that it became “a country ruled by the people” (Britannica, 2025)

Stages of social movements - emergence

is the first stage of a social movement. In this stage there is widespread discontent but little to no organisation

Stages of social movements - coalescence

is the second stage of a social movement. During this stage membership grows and strategies are formulated

Stages of social movements - bureaucratisation

is the third stage of a social movement. This stage is characterised by high levels of organisation, with strategy carried out within formal structures.

Stages of social movements - decline

is the final stage of a social movement, where the movement ends, either having achieved or failed to achieve its goals

Reasons for decline - success

a movement can decline due to achieving its own goals

Reasons for decline - success evidence

Australian Marriage Equality

- “Began in 2004, when a courageous group of individuals, from across Australia, formed the grassroots and trailblazing volunteer organisation, Australian Marriage Equality” (AME,2020)

- Emerging in response to former PM John Howard changing the Australian Marriage Act. He changed the law to exclude same sex couples

- “Together with so many passionate and committed people from across the country, Australian Marriage Equality achieved its goal in December 2017” (AME,2020)

- “In 2020, we officially wrapped up our work as an organisation” (AME,2020)

Reasons for decline - failure

movements that decline through failure are said to end due to failures within the organisation of the movement. This could be poor leadership, loss of momentum, members loosing interest, inadequate financial resources or internal conflicts over goals, tactics and strategies

Reasons for decline - failure evidence

Invisible Children social movement

- Founded in 2004 after the United Nations called the LRA crisis in Norther Uganda the “most forgotten, neglected humanitarian emergency in the world” (Invisible Children, 2020)

- Founded to change that specifically, widespread murder, child-sex slavery and abduction of young boys to fight as child soldiers

- In 2012, social movement leader Jason Russell released a powerful short film urging the global community to take action against Joseph Kony and his army, leading to “millions of people becoming committed to his capture” (Nine News 2017)

- The movement lost momentum and credibility when Russell had an “out-of-body experience” where he was “wandering the streets naked… and shouting erratically” (Nine News, 2017)

- The movement still exists. The Lord’s Resistance Army still exists. “In 2019, the LRA abducted more than 220 civilians and, according to Invisible Children’s conflict tracker, at least half were children” (Fox News,2020)

Reasons for decline - repression

occurs when authorities set out to control or destroy a social movement through either violent or legal measures, such as passing laws to intimidate members of a movement

Reasons for decline - repression evidence

African National Congress

- Former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist and leader of the African National Congress

- Formed to “eliminate apartheid the official South African policy of racial separation and discrimination. The ANC was banned from 1960 to 1990 by the white South African government, during these three decades it operated underground and outside South African territory” (Britanca,2020)

- Progress was repressed due to its leader Mandela being in prison for 27 years on charges of leading strikes and leaving the country illegally

Reasons for decline - co-optation

movements that are dependent on centralised authority or on charismatic leadership can see the movement decline through co-optation when the leader is recruited by the opposition with promises that they will be able to make changes from the inside. Co-optation can also occur if promises of money or prestige are accepted at the expense of the goals of the movement

Reasons for decline - co-optation evidence

RSPCA Australia

- Purpose ad being the leading authority in animal care and protection and to prevent cruelty to animals by actively promoting their care and protection

- RSPCA has been heavily criticised by Animal Rights and Vegan groups in Australia for allowing businesses that breed animals to be killed for food

- Claiming to care for “all creatures great and small” their actions show otherwise as they profit from animal abuse with their fraudulent “RSPCA approved” scheme

- “Every year, the RSPCA hosts the Million Paws Walk” encouraging people to bring their dogs to “fight animal cruelty and raise funds for the organisation” The event however promotes and causes “animal cruelty as countless pigs are killed and served up on a BBQ along with the eggs of abused chickens” (ALV,2016)

Reasons for decline - establishment within the mainstream

if a movement's goals or ideologies are adopted by the mainstream, there is no longer a need for the movement

Reasons for decline - establishment within the mainstream evidence

The Greens

- Founded by Bob Brown in the early 1980s as he “and many others protested the damming of the Franklin River in Tasmania” “Franklin River hydroelectricity scheme engaged a movement of people passionate for preserving Australia’s environment”

- “The Greens movement quickly gained momentum” “The Greens not only speak for the environment but also on behalf of people who are disadvantaged in our society”

- Today there are over 100 politicians across a local, state and federal government

- The Greens have evolved now seen as a mainstream political party with a broad range of social concerns, viewed as an established group within Australian society with legitimate concerns