What this chapter is about
Throughout history, people have united around shared goals, working collectively to create social change. Women fought for voting rights. Workers organized for fair wages and safe conditions. Civil rights movements challenged discrimination. Environmental movements address ecological threats. LGBTQ+ movements advocate for equality. These social movements—collective efforts to achieve or resist social change—have transformed societies.
Yet understanding what makes social movements successful, who participates and why, and how they effect change is complex. What makes thousands of people protest when most might stay home? What sustains movements through years of work with uncertain outcomes? How do movements shift public opinion and political will? When do movements succeed, and when do they fail?
Learning objectives
- 1Explain collective Action, Social Change, and How People Unite for Transformation
- 2Explain nATURE OF SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
- 3Explain defining Social Movements
- 4Explain types of Social Movements
- 5Explain resource Mobilization Theory
- 6Explain political Opportunity Structure