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Social Movement

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organized activity that encourages or discourages social change

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Collective behavior

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activity involving a large number of people, often spontaneous, and usually in violation of established norms

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Examples of Collective behavior

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mobs, riots, and crowds; rumor and gossip; public opinion; fashions and fads; panic and mass hysteria

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Collective behavior is hard to study because: it is _______ (involves a wide range of human action; It is _______ (hard to explain); Much collective behavior is transitory

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diverse; variable

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Collectivity

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a large number of people whose minimal interaction occurs in to absence of well-defined and conventional norms

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People in collectivities have ______ social interaction

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little

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People in collectivities have no clear social ___________

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boundaries

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People in collectivities generate ______ and unconventional norms

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weak

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Crowd

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a temporary gathering of people who share a common focus of attention and who influence one another

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A casual crowd

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a loose collection of people who interact little if at all (people at an accident)

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A conventional crowd

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planned and follows a clear set of norms (a lecture, a celebrity's funeral)

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An expressive crowd

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an event with emotional appeal (New Year's Eve at Times Square)

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An acting crowd

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motivated by an intense, single minded purpose (fleeing from a mall after hearing gunshots)

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Mob

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a highly emotional crowd that pursues a violent or destructive goal

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Riot

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a social eruption that is highly emotional, violent, and undirected (often serve as collective expressions of social injustice)

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Social change

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Well organized masses pose a threat to the power of elites

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Contagion Theory

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Crowds exert a hypnotic effect over their members and takes on a life of its own; people forget about personal responsibility shielded by the anonymity of crows

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Critical review of Contagion Theory

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Crowd actions result from policies and decisions made by specific individuals; emotions not necessarily irrational, they can reflect real fear or result from an injustice

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Convergence Theory

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crowd behavior comes from the particular people who join it; convergence of like-minded individuals; express existing beliefs and values

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Critical review of Convergence Theory

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People sometimes do things in crowds they would not do alone and crowds may intensify emotions

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Emergent Norm Theory

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If similar interests draw people into a crowd, distinctive patterns of behavior may emerge; rules are made as they go alone

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Critical Review of Emergent Normal Theory

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Middle ground approach; suggests that people take on different roles (ex. leader, lieutenant, follower)

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Mass behavior

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collective behavior among people spread over a wide geographic area

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Rumor

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unconfirmed information spread informally, often by word of mouth: thrives in uncertainty, unstable, difficult to stop

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Gossip

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rumor about people's personal affairs, tends to be localized

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Public Opinion

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Widespread attitudes about controversial issues

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Propoganda

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information presented with the intention of shaping public opinion (thin line separates information from public opinion)

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Fashion

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a social pattern favored by a large number of people

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Fashion in industrial societies changes often, and it involves _______ consumption

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conspicuous

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Fad

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an unconventional social pattern that people embrace briefly, but enthusiastically

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Fads are common in ____-income societies

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high

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Fads capture the public imagination and _______ burn out

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quickly

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Panic

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people in one place react to a threat or other stimulus with irrational, frantic, and often self-destructive behavior

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Mass hysteria

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people react to a real or imagined event with irrational and even frantic fear

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Disasters

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An event, generally unexpected, that causes extensive harm to people and damage to property

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Natural disaster

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hurricane, earthquake, etc.

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Technological disaster

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oil spill, nuclear explosion

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Intentional disaster

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war, terrorist attacks, genocide

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Social Movements

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Organized activity that encourages or discourages social change

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Three major dynamic sources of social change in Canada:

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-Class relations -Regional Identity -The bilingual and multicultural nature of our society

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Alternative Social Movements

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Least threatening, limited change for a limited number of members (ex. planned parenthood)

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Redemptive Social Movements

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Selective focus, radical change (ex. alcoholics anonymous)

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Reformative Social Movements

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Limited social change that targets all members of society (ex. anti-abortion and pro-choice movements)

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Revolutionary Social Movements

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The most severe, strives for basic transformation (Quebec's separatist movement)

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Claims Making

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The process of trying to convince the public and public officials of the importance of joining a social movement to address a particular issue

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Deprivation Theory

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Social movements seeking change arise among people who feel deprived; relative deprivation: perceived disadvantage from a specific comparison

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Critical Review of Deprivation Theory

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Everyone feels some deprivation, so why do social movements arise among some categories of people and not others?

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Mass-Society Theory

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Socially isolated people seek out social movements as a way to gain a sense of belonging and importance; categories of people with weak social ties are those most eager to join a social movement

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Critical Review of Mass Theory

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It is a theory that is difficult to test; it ignores the social justice issues that movements address

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Structural Strain Theory has _____ factors that encourage the development of social movements

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6

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1. Structural conduciveness

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problems exist

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2. Structural strain

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relative deprivation

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3. Growth and spread of an explanation

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causes and its solutions spread

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4. Precipitating factors

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a specific event sparks collective action

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5. Mobilization for action

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people are ready to take action

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6. Lack of social control

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success depends on the response of political officials

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Critical Review of Structural Strain Theory

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-Explains why people may respond to their problems either by forming organized social movements or through spontaneous mob action -However, it presents circularity of arguments: movements arise from strain and the only evidence of this is the movement itself -This theory ignores the role of resources like mass media or international alliances

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Resource Mobilization Theory

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Any social movement rises or falls on how well it attracts resources, mobilizes people, and forges alliances (technology is an influence)

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Critical Review of Mobilization Theory

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-Movements with few resources may turn to violence to call attention to their cause -Relatively powerless segments of a population can promote change if they: are able to organize effectively. have strongly committed members (ex. civil rights movement in 50s and 60s)

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Culture Theory

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Movement depends on cultural symbols

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Critical Review of Culture Theory

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-Strong symbols like flags can help support the status quo -When does a symbol become a sign of protest?

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Political Economy Theory

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-Social movements arise within capitalist societies because capitalism fails to meet the needs of the majority of people

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Critical Review of Political Economy Theory

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Does not explain non-economic issues of some social movements, such as obesity, animal rights, or the state of the natural environment

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New Social Movements Theory

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Social movement in the post-industrial societies of North America and Western Europe have a new focus: quality of life, international issues, draw support from middle and upper classes

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Critical Review of New Social Movements Theory

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Differences between the past and present are also exaggerated

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Gender figures ______ in the operation of social movements

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prominently

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More ____ than ____ tend to take part in public life, including leading social movements

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men; women

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_____ have played leading roles in many social movements, but _____ dominance has been the norm

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women; male

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Stages in Social movements

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Emergence, Coalescence, Bureaucratization, Decline

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1. Emergence in social movements

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perception that something is wrong

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2. Coalescence in social movements

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defines itself, recruits members, and devises strategies and tactics

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3. Bureaucratization in social movements

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organizes rationally to get job done

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4. Decline in social movements

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Is the movement in need of regrouping or it is simply time for its demise?

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Decline can have several outcomes

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Success, failure due to organizational weakness or internal strife, co-optation of leaders, repression, establishment within mainstream

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Social movements exist to _______ or ______ change

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encourage; resist

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Many social movements have _____ important goals

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achieved

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Canadian society has been influenced by social movements especially since the _______

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1960s

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The scope of social movements is likely to ___________

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increase

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Previously disadvantaged categories of people are strengthening their _________ voices

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political

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It's easy to stay abreast of events due to _________

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technology

Ch. 23 – Collective Behavior and Social Movements – Flashcards

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