Deviance and Social Change: Social Movements
Social Movements and Social Change: A Sociological Perspective
Introduction to the Module
This marks the final content week of the module, "Deviance and Social Change."
Previous topics covered:
Introduction to the sociology of deviance and social control.
Discussion on crime and a paper on terrorism (as highlighted by Matteo).
Racism and inequality (discussed in the previous week's seminar).
This week's focus is on social movements and social change, a topic of significant contemporary relevance given global challenges and calls for change.
Next Week's Announcement
Andrew's lecture next week will cover Assignment 3 (AT3), including requirements and logistics.
Students are encouraged to bring any questions regarding AT3 or other topics to the following seminar for discussion.
Progressive Social Movements in Contemporary Australia
LGBTQIA+ Movement:
Initially known as gay rights movements, expanding to include bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, and asexual individuals, among others, forming the LGBTQIA+ acronym.
A prominent example is the movement for gay marriage, which culminated in a political referendum.
This referendum was perceived by some as a conservative strategy to delay the legalization of gay marriage, hoping for a low turnout or unfavorable result.
However, it resulted in a resounding majority vote in favor, leading to a change in law and cultural attitudes.
"Change the Date" Movement:
A movement advocating for changing the date of Australia Day.
The rationale is that the current date (January 26) marks the colonization of Australia, seen by many Indigenous Australians as "Invasion Day." This perspective is highlighted by counter-marches emphasizing the historical impact of colonization.
This movement is contentious, with various forces pushing in different directions.
Reactionary Social Movements
COVID-19 Anti-Lockdown/Anti-Vaccination Movements:
Characterized by intense passion and strong opposition to government-mandated lockdowns and vaccination efforts.
Often featured prominently in news coverage due to their dramatic nature, illustrating the media's tendency to highlight conflict.
Anti-Abortion Law Changes Protests (Post-Roe v. Wade):
Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the US, similar protests emerged in Australia.
Fear existed that Australian politicians might try to introduce similar abortion law changes (e.g., bills in South Australia or Queensland).
These largely global protests demonstrated digital connectedness and the increasing influence of American politics on Australian discourse, amplified by US-owned social media platforms.
Right-Wing/Neo-Nazi Rallies:
Mentioned as a worrying example of reactionary movements, possibly stemming from international (US/European) influences via the internet.
While relatively small in Australia, their presence is alarming and represents a significant radicalization, although media portrayals might distort their overall proportionality.
Relationship Between Social Movements and Deviance
Challenging Norms: Social movements often involve groups going against established social norms and prevailing societal expectations.
Labeling as Deviant: Consequently, members of social movements are frequently labeled as "deviant," "troublemakers," or "rebels" for their non-compliance with existing rules or behaviors.
Redefining Deviance: A key function of successful social movements is to change what society considers deviant. For example:
Homosexuality was historically viewed as a sin, then a medical/mental illness in the 19th century, but is now understood as a diverse form of sexuality.
The gay rights movement successfully challenged the deviant labeling of same-sex attraction and gay marriage, leading to its decriminalization and legalization.
Sociological Approach: Sociologists aim for an objective stance to understand how social norms change, identifying the social groups involved, their objectives, the norms they challenge, and their methods. This involves examining the historical context of concepts like sexuality.
Common Characteristics of Social Movements
Politics and Power:
All social movements are inherently political, engaging with power dynamics.
Power can be institutionalized (e.g., winning elections to change policies) or informal (e.g., gender politics challenging sexism in everyday life).
Movements seek to influence or affect power, even if they are not directly within political institutions (e.g., street protests demanding change).
Special Type of Social Conflict:
As described by French sociologist Alan Toureigne, social movements represent a considered, politically-motivated conflict, distinct from unorganized aggression.
Addressing Corruption:
Influential Spanish sociologist Manuel Castells highlights that movements often arise from concerns about those in power abusing or misusing their authority, which is perceived as corruption.
Social Movements and Globalization
Interconnectedness: Many contemporary social movements are deeply connected to globalization.
Internet's Role: The internet, particularly Web 2.0 (smartphone revolution, platform-based social media), has fundamentally changed how social movements operate:
Rapid Radicalization: Algorithms can quickly lead individuals down "rabbit holes" to extremist content. Studies show that a few clicks on political content can lead to radicalized extreme views (e.g., New York Times study).
Influence and Echo Chambers: Curated feeds reinforce existing beliefs, making it difficult to engage with opposing viewpoints constructively.
Global Spread of Ideas: International influences, such as American politics and cultural trends, readily impact movements in other countries.
Example: The Nazi rallies in Melbourne drawing inspiration from international white supremacist movements.
Online Activism: The internet facilitates online activist groups and movements, allowing for rapid networking and communication among like-minded individuals.
Doom and Gloom, but also Good: While risks like radicalization exist, the internet also hosts vast amounts of positive content and diverse discussions. Critical discernment is essential.
Responses to Global Capitalism: Movements emerge in response to consequences of global capitalism:
Wealth Inequality: Protests against vast disparities, with people feeling disempowered despite their efforts.
Environmental Impacts: Global development and wealth creation lead to significant environmental consequences, triggering environmental movements (e.g., Extinction Rebellion).
Working Conditions and Social Inequalities: Movements addressing labor rights, gender inequality (e.g., Me Too movement), and racial injustice (e.g., Black Lives Matter).
Further Reading: Textbook pages 386-387 offer more information on this connection.
Online Strategies (Digital Repertoires)
Outrage/Engagement Farming/Rage Bait:
A common strategy where content creators use inflammatory, exaggerated, or sensational material to provoke strong emotional responses and drive online engagement (clicks, comments).
This is often driven by the platform's financial incentives, which reward engagement regardless of content quality.
Content and Discussion Styles:
Observations suggest political content on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) can differ:
The "left" often uses statistics.
The "right" tends to rely on anecdotes.
A general lack of source sharing is also noted.
Sociological Concerns:
This trend raises concerns about constructive debate and the ability of individuals with differing views to engage civilly. The prevalence of nastiness and abuse online is a significant problem.
Sociologists study these phenomena through methods like content analysis to determine the prevalence of patterns (e.g., tolerance of abuse, normalization of radical views).
Academic work examines figures like Andrew Tate and how young men engage with such content, exploring its appeal and normalization in online spaces.
Injustice as a Trigger for Social Movements
Perception and Communication are Key: Injustice alone does not automatically trigger social movements. It must first be perceived as an injustice.
The Role of Communication: Once perceived, the injustice needs to be communicated among individuals. Modern digital communication (smartphones, social media) greatly facilitates this networking.
Emotion as a Motivator: Emotion plays a crucial role in driving social movements.
Feelings of injustice, passion, and shared frustration act as powerful motivators for collective action.
Manuel Castells' quote: "Emotions can act directly in the process of decision making by prompting the subject to decide the way she feels." This highlights how emotions drive action.
Potential Pitfalls of Emotion:
While essential, emotion can also lead to a bias where individuals select information that confirms their existing inclinations, potentially fostering dogmatism within movements.
Castells: "People tend to select information in ways that favor the decisions they are inclined to make."
This can make movements less responsive to critical information or alternative perspectives.
State Response to Social Movements
Repertoires of Contention (Charles Tilly):
This concept refers to the established sets of behaviors, skills, tactics, and beliefs that social movements use to engage in protest or opposition.
These repertoires evolve over time and vary by context, and even within the same movement.
Example: Early labor parties and unions in the 19th century used widespread strikes, while contemporary unions employ more small-scale tactics.
Varying Responses Based on Movement Type: The state's response is not uniform; it depends on the nature and tactics of the movement.
Radical/Revolutionary Movements: Seek fundamental, often total, societal transformation. Historically, these might involve significant challenges to the state and could be left-wing (e.g., communist groups) or right-wing (e.g., religious fundamentalists). These are less common now.
Reformist Movements: Aim for significant, but not total, changes within the existing system. This is a more common approach today.
Example: Extinction Rebellion:
This environmental group employs disruptive tactics (e.g., blocking traffic, locking themselves to structures).
Such tactics often evoke strong public reactions (anger, frustration) and can lead to specific, often punitive, state responses.
Ethical and Practical Questions: This raises discussions about what constitute acceptable and effective tactics for social change, especially when they cause public inconvenience or controversy.