Introduction to Social Movements

This course analyzes collective actions by drawing on historical and contemporary case studies to analyze such campaigns and movements.
Key questions guiding the study include: when and where do movements occur, what sparks a movement, who participates and why, and how protest strategies and tactics develop.
To explain this further, a conceptual process is introduced (see next sections).

Conceptual process/components of social movements

Grievances and conditions
- Grievances about conditions such as poverty and government repression are important, but they are not the only reasons that movements form.
- Example: Black people were enslaved and oppressed in the United States for many years before the civil rights movement organized in the 1950s and 1960s.
Resource mobilization
- Key resources include leaders, organizations, media, and networks.
- Scholars examine the role of social networks, ideology, and resources in movement recruitment and mobilization.
- Some movement organizations are better at attracting participants and formulating effective strategies.
Political opportunities
- Suzane Staggenborg argues (2021) that the study of social movements helps us understand how movements can achieve change, as well as how they are limited, by examining political opportunities and obstacles.
- Success depends on openness of the political system, allies, and sympathizers that create possibilities and chances.
Strategies and tactics
- Throughout history, much of society’s history consists of struggles and protests for social or political change.
- Movements use strategies and tactics such as protest, rallies, lobbying, strikes, demonstrations, social media, and even civil disobedience to gain public attention and force authorities to consider movement issues and make concessions, sometimes toppling governments.
Outcome: success or failure
- Movements can lead to policy change, government change, shifts in culture, or law reforms.
- Examples include the French and American revolutions, the anti-slavery movement, the civil rights movement, the women’s suffrage movement, the environmental movement, and the LGBTQ movement; some movements inspire future activism.

Historical and contemporary case studies

Arab Spring (2011)
- Movements in Tunisia, Egypt, and other Arab countries demanded democracy and overthrew repressive regimes.
- In the United States, Occupy Wall Street was inspired by these protests and fueled by inequalities associated with the economic crisis.
Occupy Wall Street (OWS)
- Beginning with an occupation in New York City’s Zuccotti Park in September 2011, the movement spread across the country and to cities around the world.
- Main issues: social and economic inequality, greed, corruption, and the undue influence of corporations on government— particularly from the financial services sector.
- Protesters set up camps in public spaces and declared “we are the 99%,” in opposition to the wealthy 1% of the population.
Other historical movements referenced
- In the twentieth century, labor movements in Europe and North America used strikes and other tactics to win bargaining rights and concessions such as the 8-hour workday.
- Today, the women’s movement continues to combat problems such as sexual assault and other violence against women, and to fight for access to education, employment, and gender equality around the world.
Civil Rights Movement (USA)
- Civil Rights Movement is highlighted as one of the most important movements, reaching its height in the 1960s.
- Important actions: the Montgomery Bus Boycott led by Martin Luther King Jr.; the boycott lasted one year and contributed to the ruling that segregation on buses was banned in 1956.
- The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964.
Other movements mentioned as examples
- Women’s Suffrage Movement (right to vote)
- LGBTQ Rights Movement (marriage equality)
- Environmental Movement (climate action)
- Black Lives Matter (justice for all)

Puzzles and research questions (Staggenborg and others)

Staggenborg (2021) argues that it is not always apparent how to bring together a variety of groups and individuals with varying interests and ideologies to form a cohesive movement capable of real change.
Researchers studying social movements are confronted with numerous puzzles as they try to explain the growth and impact of movements.
Many rights we take for granted today exist because of social movements (e.g., anti-smoking movement).

Definitions and foundational concepts

Definition of a social movement
- Social movements are a type of group action: large, sometimes informal groupings of individuals or organizations focusing on specific political or social issues.
- They are sustained, organized collective efforts by people to bring about or resist change.
- The term social movement was introduced in 1850 by the German sociologist Lorenz Von Steirn.
Staggenborg (2021): defines social movements as an important means of bringing about political and cultural change through collective action.
Turner and Killian (1972): define a social movement as a collective behavior based on some continuity to promote or resist change in the society or group of which it is a part. It is characterized by:
- (1) collective action which is initiated, organized and sustained,
- (2) ideology, and
- (3) oriented towards social change.

Background and historical context

The first half of the 20th century was dominated by the great wars, revolutions, colonialism, the Great Depression, Fascism, Soviet socialism, and Western liberalism.
A new era of economic growth began after the end of World War II, but there were also growing tensions in many countries.
Sections of society that had long been denied equal rights came out asserting their rights.

Why social movements matter

Civil Rights and other movements of the 1960s and beyond illustrate why movements matter:
- The American Civil Rights Movement fought for equal treatment of Black Americans against segregation in schools, buses, and public places.
- The movement reached its height during the 1960s.
Notable actions and outcomes
- The Montgomery Bus Boycott (led by Martin Luther King Jr.) lasted a year and helped lead to the ban on bus segregation (ruling in 1956).
- The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1964.

Examples of other movements

Women’s Suffrage Movement (voting rights)
LGBTQ Rights Movement (marriage equality)
Environmental Movement (climate action)
Black Lives Matter (justice for all)

How researchers frame social movements

Staggenborg (2021) notes the challenge of bringing together diverse groups and ideologies to form a cohesive movement capable of effecting change.
Researchers face various puzzles when explaining the growth and impact of movements.
Many of the rights we enjoy today emerged from social movements (e.g., anti-smoking movement).

Stages of social movements

Emergence: People become aware of an issue and believe change is necessary; there is frustration or dissatisfaction.
Coalescence: collective action emerges; challenge to authority.
Bureaucratization: Movement becomes more formal and structured; organization and strategy develop; leadership and organizations within the movement begin to emerge.
Decline: can result from success, repression, or failure.
Note: Historical context and theoretical framing by Herbert Blumer.

Stage progression (visual framing from slides)

Emergence → Coalescence → Bureaucratization → Cooptation → Decline → Repression → Go mainstream
Adapted from Blumer (1946), Mauss (1975), and Tilly (1978)

Key characteristics of social movements

1. Collective and collaborative action
- Involves large groups; organized to promote or resist change; action often coordinated through media networks, organizations, or informal connections.
- Example: The U.S. Civil Rights Movement used marches, sit-ins, and boycotts involving thousands of participants.
2. Shared objectives or ideologies
- Members united by a common concern; this shared purpose provides solidarity and cohesion.
- Examples: Justice and equality for all (Black Lives Matter, Women’s Suffrage).
3. Sustained or continuous over time
- Movements persist over months, years, or decades (e.g., the women’s movement, civil rights movement).
- Sustained campaigns help build long-term pressure for change.
4. Often outside formal institutions
- Movements frequently operate outside formal political or legal institutions and may challenge unjust laws and policies.
5. Can be peaceful or confrontational
- Most movements seek peaceful change, but some are confrontational or reactionary.
6. Use of tactics and strategies
- Protests, marches, sit-ins, strikes, and social media campaigns aimed at raising awareness, influencing public opinion, and pressuring political institutions.
7. Organized structure and leadership
- Rigid hierarchies vs. simple organizational structures; variations exist across movements.

Herbert Blumer – “Social Movements” (1946)

A short but influential article defining stages (emergence, coalescence, bureaucracy) and offering an early theoretical framing for movement processes.

Note on how to use these notes

Consider how grievances, resources, political opportunities, tactics, and outcomes interact in real-world campaigns.
Reflect on how different movements moved through stages and how their structures shaped their strategies and successes.
Use these notes to connect foundational theories (Blumer; Turner & Killian; Staggenborg) to historical and contemporary examples.