SOCIOLOGY - SOCIAL MOVEMENT
AND REVOLUTION
Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution
The term dissent refers to ideas and activities which are different from those prevailing in a society at a
given point of time. Differences of opinion and disagreement on certain issues are its base. Dissent is thus
the beginning of a movement for change.
When dissent is expressed openly, it assumes the form of protest and agitation. They represent a more
crystallized state of opposition and conflict. Purpose is central to an agitation, unlike opposition which is
central in protest. Protest is a reaction to an event which has already occurred and an agitation can also be
a future course for a protest. Dissent is central to protests, dissatisfaction is central to agitations.
Protest is a social process of opposition against any person, group or even wider society. It may occur at
individual or collective level, manifest or latent level and may involve action or inaction as a tool. Some
modes of protest are candle light procession, use of black bands, street theatres, songs, poetry, violence and
vandalism. It is sometimes instant and reactionary organized action.
Protest seeks to reform rather than replace the existing structure. It is an organized, conscious and collective
attempt to bring or to resist social change through non-institutional means. Over a period of time, if protests
do not yield result, they can either disappear or evolve into a social movement.
Agitation is a social process which involves intense activity undertaken by an individual or group, in order
to fulfil a purpose. Strikes, mass leave, raasta roko, rail roko, rioting and picketing are some forms. Unlike
social movements which are marked by a degree of organization and sustenance, agitations are generally
spontaneous and ephemeral. Both protests and agitations can institutionalize to become social movements.
A social movement is defined as a sustained collective action, aimed at bringing or resisting social change
outside the sphere of established institutions. They are large informal groupings of individuals and/or
organizations focused on specific political or social issues, or in other words, on carrying out, resisting or
undoing a social change.
Dissatisfaction->Disenchantment->Protest->Social Movement -discontent theory-rise of social movements
The term "Social Movement" was introduced in 1850 by Lorenz von Stein in his book "History of the
French Social Movement from 1789 to the Present".
,MSA Rao says that a social movement essentially involves sustained collective mobilization through either
informal or formal organization, and is generally oriented towards bringing about change in the existing
system. Rao considers ideology as an important component of a social movement.
Turner and Kilhan define “social Movement “as a collectivity which acts with some continuity to promote
or resist change in the society or group of which it is a part”
Toch emphasizes that a social movement is an effort by a large number of people to solve collectively a
problem they feel they share in common.
According to Charles Tilly, social movements are a major vehicle for ordinary people’s participation in
public politics
Social movements in the beginning do not follow a fixed pattern of hierarchy. They are thus able to innovate
new features of organization. Institutionalization would prevent any form of innovation because of its fixed
structures.
Key processes behind the history of social movements are - urbanization, industrialization,
universalization of education, scientific revolution and democratization.
According to Touraine, social movements have three important f unctions:
Mediation - Help to relate the individual to the larger society. Give each person a chance to
participate, to express his ideas and to play a role in the process of social change.
Pressure - Social movements stimulate the formation of organized groups that work systematically
to see that their plans and policies are implemented.
Clarification of collective consciousness - Social movements generate and develop ideas which
spread throughout society. As a result, group consciousness arises and grows.
For a social movement to emerge, people must understand the problem. The problem must be observable
and objective, and when a subjective understanding or consciousness of the problem develops, social
movement is generated. Leadership and ideology are other necessary factors.
Social movements, in Tilly’s view, tend to develop as means of mobilizing group resources either when
people have no institutionalized means of making their voices heard or when their needs are directly
repressed by the state authorities. They are a major vehicle for ordinary people's participation in public
politics - 3 elements - campaigns, repertoire of methods, WUCN displays = worthiness, unity, numbers and
commitment.
, Stouffer - only relatively deprived people go for movements, protests, agitations - fully satisfied are not
interested, absolutely deprived lack the power.
Doug McAdam and David Snow - social movement contains 5 elements - collective action, an orientation
towards change, a degree of organization, a degree of temporal continuity, institutional or non-institutional
action.
Social change (Sanskritization, westernization) is continuous and ongoing - sum of countless individual and
collective actions across time and space - movements are directed towards a specific goal - social
movements are concentrated, pre-planned action, a sense of collective identity.
In a revolution, in Hegelian / Marxian terminology, quantitative to qualitative change occurs. Social
movement on the other hand, leads to change in structure. Coup is a change in political leadership by force.
Rebellion is replacing one dominant class by another and nothing else changes, it also happens by force.
Types of social movements - reform movements, revolutionary movements, resistance or reactionary
movements, migratory movements, revitalization movements.
Migratory movement: When a large number of people migrate due to discontent and or due to shared hope
for a better future in some other land. Example, mass exodus of Keralites to Middle East , nation for Jews
Alternative social movement – hippie
Utopian - Israeli Kibutz
MSA Rao: 3 types of social movements:
Reforms movement - partial transformation in the value system without trying to change the society
as a whole - Bhakti, Arya Samaj, Brahmo Samaj, Sati
Transformative movement - try to bring change to traditional distribution of power - SNDP, Mahar
movement
Revolutionary movement - radical change in cultural and social systems is sought - Russian
Revolution, Communist Revolution China, French Revolution
JH Turner added 2 more types:
Reactionary movement - these arise among people who are dissatisfied with certain aspects of
change. The movement seeks to recapture old values. example, Islamic fundamentalism
Expressive movement - individual tries to come to terms with unpleasant external reality y modifying
their reaction to it – Hippies
David Aberle - 4 types - alternative (self-improvement and limited - planned parenthood), redemptive
(Alcoholics Anonymous), reformative (trade union for worker rights), revolutionary.
AND REVOLUTION
Protest, agitation, social movements, collective action, revolution
The term dissent refers to ideas and activities which are different from those prevailing in a society at a
given point of time. Differences of opinion and disagreement on certain issues are its base. Dissent is thus
the beginning of a movement for change.
When dissent is expressed openly, it assumes the form of protest and agitation. They represent a more
crystallized state of opposition and conflict. Purpose is central to an agitation, unlike opposition which is
central in protest. Protest is a reaction to an event which has already occurred and an agitation can also be
a future course for a protest. Dissent is central to protests, dissatisfaction is central to agitations.
Protest is a social process of opposition against any person, group or even wider society. It may occur at
individual or collective level, manifest or latent level and may involve action or inaction as a tool. Some
modes of protest are candle light procession, use of black bands, street theatres, songs, poetry, violence and
vandalism. It is sometimes instant and reactionary organized action.
Protest seeks to reform rather than replace the existing structure. It is an organized, conscious and collective
attempt to bring or to resist social change through non-institutional means. Over a period of time, if protests
do not yield result, they can either disappear or evolve into a social movement.
Agitation is a social process which involves intense activity undertaken by an individual or group, in order
to fulfil a purpose. Strikes, mass leave, raasta roko, rail roko, rioting and picketing are some forms. Unlike
social movements which are marked by a degree of organization and sustenance, agitations are generally
spontaneous and ephemeral. Both protests and agitations can institutionalize to become social movements.
A social movement is defined as a sustained collective action, aimed at bringing or resisting social change
outside the sphere of established institutions. They are large informal groupings of individuals and/or
organizations focused on specific political or social issues, or in other words, on carrying out, resisting or
undoing a social change.
Dissatisfaction->Disenchantment->Protest->Social Movement -discontent theory-rise of social movements
The term "Social Movement" was introduced in 1850 by Lorenz von Stein in his book "History of the
French Social Movement from 1789 to the Present".
,MSA Rao says that a social movement essentially involves sustained collective mobilization through either
informal or formal organization, and is generally oriented towards bringing about change in the existing
system. Rao considers ideology as an important component of a social movement.
Turner and Kilhan define “social Movement “as a collectivity which acts with some continuity to promote
or resist change in the society or group of which it is a part”
Toch emphasizes that a social movement is an effort by a large number of people to solve collectively a
problem they feel they share in common.
According to Charles Tilly, social movements are a major vehicle for ordinary people’s participation in
public politics
Social movements in the beginning do not follow a fixed pattern of hierarchy. They are thus able to innovate
new features of organization. Institutionalization would prevent any form of innovation because of its fixed
structures.
Key processes behind the history of social movements are - urbanization, industrialization,
universalization of education, scientific revolution and democratization.
According to Touraine, social movements have three important f unctions:
Mediation - Help to relate the individual to the larger society. Give each person a chance to
participate, to express his ideas and to play a role in the process of social change.
Pressure - Social movements stimulate the formation of organized groups that work systematically
to see that their plans and policies are implemented.
Clarification of collective consciousness - Social movements generate and develop ideas which
spread throughout society. As a result, group consciousness arises and grows.
For a social movement to emerge, people must understand the problem. The problem must be observable
and objective, and when a subjective understanding or consciousness of the problem develops, social
movement is generated. Leadership and ideology are other necessary factors.
Social movements, in Tilly’s view, tend to develop as means of mobilizing group resources either when
people have no institutionalized means of making their voices heard or when their needs are directly
repressed by the state authorities. They are a major vehicle for ordinary people's participation in public
politics - 3 elements - campaigns, repertoire of methods, WUCN displays = worthiness, unity, numbers and
commitment.
, Stouffer - only relatively deprived people go for movements, protests, agitations - fully satisfied are not
interested, absolutely deprived lack the power.
Doug McAdam and David Snow - social movement contains 5 elements - collective action, an orientation
towards change, a degree of organization, a degree of temporal continuity, institutional or non-institutional
action.
Social change (Sanskritization, westernization) is continuous and ongoing - sum of countless individual and
collective actions across time and space - movements are directed towards a specific goal - social
movements are concentrated, pre-planned action, a sense of collective identity.
In a revolution, in Hegelian / Marxian terminology, quantitative to qualitative change occurs. Social
movement on the other hand, leads to change in structure. Coup is a change in political leadership by force.
Rebellion is replacing one dominant class by another and nothing else changes, it also happens by force.
Types of social movements - reform movements, revolutionary movements, resistance or reactionary
movements, migratory movements, revitalization movements.
Migratory movement: When a large number of people migrate due to discontent and or due to shared hope
for a better future in some other land. Example, mass exodus of Keralites to Middle East , nation for Jews
Alternative social movement – hippie
Utopian - Israeli Kibutz
MSA Rao: 3 types of social movements:
Reforms movement - partial transformation in the value system without trying to change the society
as a whole - Bhakti, Arya Samaj, Brahmo Samaj, Sati
Transformative movement - try to bring change to traditional distribution of power - SNDP, Mahar
movement
Revolutionary movement - radical change in cultural and social systems is sought - Russian
Revolution, Communist Revolution China, French Revolution
JH Turner added 2 more types:
Reactionary movement - these arise among people who are dissatisfied with certain aspects of
change. The movement seeks to recapture old values. example, Islamic fundamentalism
Expressive movement - individual tries to come to terms with unpleasant external reality y modifying
their reaction to it – Hippies
David Aberle - 4 types - alternative (self-improvement and limited - planned parenthood), redemptive
(Alcoholics Anonymous), reformative (trade union for worker rights), revolutionary.
