Activists as Claimsmakers Chapter 3 Norton Media Library Chapter 3 Joel Best

Types of activist claimsmakers Outsiders: they operate externally to sources of power in the society and so have to work hard as claimsmakers to get and maintain attention of others Insiders: already near to sources of power and thus find it easier to conduct claimsmaking without as much attention Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Types of activist claimsmakers Social movement and social movement organizations Social movements are overarching large-scale causes social movement organizations are smaller groups, more narrowly focused than the large-scale cause Both social movements and social movement organizations endorse social change and that often provokes others who wish to resist change, to form countermovements Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements Framing: the ways claims are structured within a larger cultural context Three kinds of frames Diagnostic frames discuss the nature of the troubling condition Motivational frames discuss why individuals ought to care about the condition Prognostic frames explain what needs to be done to solve the troubling condition Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements The more activists can align frames with the hopes and thoughts and dreams of those they are trying to enlist to the cause, the greater the chance of recruitment Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements Frame alignment: ways activists adjust their frames to the way those they want to recruit thing about the world Frame bridging: reaching out to those who support similar causes to establish links between frames and movements Frame amplification: using values to rally the involvement of others to the cause Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements Frame extension: stretching a frame in order to see if it could include what likely recruits may believe to be important Frame transformation: activists ask potential recruits to stop seeing the world in their normal manner and see it instead how the activists’ do Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements Frame disputes Often arise between different social movement organizations within a social movement; each side portrays the social condition differently and sees their way as the “correct” one One side may accuse the other of “selling out,” especially if frame extension has occurred and questions of integrity arise Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements Resource Mobilization: acquiring both the assets (human, monetary, etc.) and the know-how to use them to advance the goal of eradicating the social problem Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements Fundraising activities Kinds of individuals involved Beneficiaries: those proposed policy will help Constituents: individuals who support the movement Conscience constituents: those who support the movement but are less likely to benefit directly from the proposed policy Techniques: direct-mail; phone and Internet solicitation, in-person Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements People management skills are necessary, especially about the media Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements Opportunity structures: Moments when barriers to claimsmaking lower and social movements have the chance to make social change Cultural opportunities: when audience members, for whatever reason, suddenly lower their guard and are more likely to listen to claims about a particular troubling condition Master frame becomes accepted and social movement uses it to describe its cause Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements Political opportunities change (i.e., elections produce shifts in the political landscape which social movements can use to their benefit) Positive moments of opportunity Shifting political priorities change in favor of social movement due to changes in ideology Opponents grow weaker politically Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements When political opportunities shut down When public’s and/or media’s carrying capacities are full, especially due to a crisis, then not a good time to advance claims unless they are about the crisis When opponents are growing stronger politically and social movement is not Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Sociological ways of studying social movements Social problem ownership: when one or more movement’s views of the social problem become so dominant in political and cultural discourse that it is difficult to think about the social problem in any other way Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Case study: Activists concerned with globalization Social Problems Copyright © 2008 W.W. Norton & Company

Independent and Employee-Owned End Chapter 3 W. W. Norton & Company Independent and Employee-Owned This concludes the Norton Media Library Slide Set for Chapter 3 Social Problems By Joel Best