SOC101Y Introduction to Sociology Professor Robert Brym Lecture #16 Politics and Social Movements 6 March 13

Today’s Topics  Politics “by the rules”  Electoral politics  Politics “beyond the rules”  Social movements  War

Voter Turnout, Canadian Federal Elections Voters as percent of eligible voters Voter turnout fell 19.5 percent from 1958 to 2011 and will drop below 50 percent in 2041 if current trends continue. YearAge Cohort Voter turnout is falling mainly because fewer young people vote than in the past. As these 2011 data show, the youngest Canadians are the least likely to vote. Voters as percent of eligible voters

Federal Political Contributors, by Income and Region, Canada Contributors/10,000 tax filers Income category Region

Political Apathy and Cynicism, by Annual Household Income, Canada, 2004

Major Characteristics of Canadian Democracy Today 1.Large, persistent, wealth-based inequalities in political influence and political participation 2.Widespread political apathy, especially among youth 3.Somewhat left of centre

LEFTRIGHT  Supports extensive government involvement in the economy;  a strong social safety net of health, education and welfare benefits to help the less well-off;  equal rights for women and racial and sexual minorities;  environmental protection by regulation.  Supports minimal government involvement in the economy;  a small welfare state;  individual initiative in stimulating economic growth;  traditional social and moral values;  a free market approach to the environment. Average Canadian Average American

How do Canada’s political parties vary from left to right? (percent of 2008 vote in parentheses) Note: The Left versus Right index is the percent of each party’s supporters who favour enhanced social spending supported by tax increases minus the percent who favour reduced social spending and tax cuts. (37.6) (10.0) (18.2) (6.8) (26.2) 61% left38% right

Organization is Power

Consequences of Working Class Power in 18 Rich Countries, 1946–76 % non- agricultural workforce unionized Socialist share of government % of national income to top 10% of income earners % poor 2 mainly socialist countries 68.5High partly socialist countries 46.6Medium non- socialist countries 28.0Low

Non-conventional Political Action, Canada, (percent “done” and “might”) Percent Statistically significant increase

Relative Deprivation Theory Time Rewards Rewards expected Rewards received Intolerable gap People feel relatively deprived when they experience an intolerable gap between the social rewards they think they deserve and the social rewards they expect to receive. Social rewards are widely valued goods, including money, education, security, prestige, etc. Accordingly, people are most likely to rebel against authority when rising expectations (brought on by, say, rapid economic growth and migration) are met by a sudden decline in social rewards (due to, say, economic recession or war).

Resource Mobilization Theory Resource mobilization theory is based on the idea that social movements can emerge only when disadvantaged people can marshal the means necessary to challenge authority. Foremost among the resources they need to challenge authority is the capacity to forge strong social ties among themselves. Other important resources that allow disadvantaged people to challenge authority include jobs, money, arms, and access to means of spreading their ideas.

Weighted Frequency of Strikes, Canada, Strikes/100,000 non-agricultural workers 1946 Year

Percent of Non-Agricultural Workers Unionized, Canada, Percent unionized Year

How Social Movements Changed, Characteristics of social movements Small, local, violent Large, national, less violent Large, international, less violent Cause of changeGrowth of state Globalization

War  A war is a violent, armed conflict between politically distinct groups who fight to protect or increase their control of territory.  Wars may take place:  between countries (interstate war)  special type: colonial war, which involves a colony engaging in armed conflict with an imperial power to gain independence  within countries (civil or societal war)

Global Trends in Violent Conflict,

The Risk of War,

Type of Government by Income Category Income Category Percent Note: Democracy = rule by the citizenry; autocracy = absolute rule by a single person or party; intermediate = some elements of democracy (e.g, regular elections) and some of autocracy (e.g., no institutional checks on presidential power).

Forms of Modern Warfare,  The modern state increasingly monopolized the means of coercion.  As a result, regional, ethnic, and religious wars declined, and interstate warfare became the norm.  While conflict became more deadly, civilian life was pacified.

Changing Form of Warfare since World War II  There have been fewer interstate wars and more civil wars, guerilla wars, massacres, terrorist attacks, and instances of attempted ethnic cleansing and genocide perpetrated by militias, mercenaries, paramilitaries, suicide bombers, and so on.  Large-scale violence has increasingly been visited on civilian rather than military populations.

Total and Fatal Terrorist Attacks, All attacks Fatal attacks

Why Warfare Changed after World War II  Decolonization and separatist movements roughly doubled the number of weak, independent states in the world.  The USA, the USSR, China and Cuba often subsidized and sent arms to domestic opponents of regimes that were aligned against them.  The expansion of international trade in contraband provided separatist rebels with new means of support.