1. Collective Action, Social Movements, and Social Change
Chapter 18
Collective Action, Social Movements, and Social Change
Lecture PowerPoint
© W. W. Norton & Company, 2008

2. Introduction
Sociologists of science look at the interactions between science and society.
A paradigm is the framework within which scientists operate. There are particular paradigms for particular branches of scientific research.
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3. Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
Crowd collective action takes place when members of a group are face to face.
Mass collective action is collective action in which close physical proximity is not necessary, such as a letter writing campaign.
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4. Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
According to convergence theory, collective action happens when people with similar ideas and tendencies gather in the same place.
This theory does not explain the inconsistency of group action—why collective action sometimes happens under such circumstances and why it sometimes does not.
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5. Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
According to contagion theory, collective action arises because of people’s tendency to conform to the behavior of others.
This theory downplays individual agency and does not explain the inconsistency of group action.
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6. Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
Emergent norm theory emphasizes the influence of leaders in promoting particular norms that members of a group then follow.
This theory doesn’t explain why particular people become leaders or why some actions emerge as norms within a group and others don’t.
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7. Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
In order explain who we are as individuals, we tend to talk about different groups of which we are a part. What makes each of us unique is the particular combination of groups with which we identify.
Photo Courtesy of Getty.
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8. Collective Action: What Is It Good For?
A static identity is an aspect of your identity (such as race) that doesn’t change and that determines at least one group to which you belong.
A dynamic identity is an aspect of your identity that is more fluid (such as working as a lifeguard for one summer) and that is determined by a group to which you belong.
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9. Social Movements
A social movement is collective behavior that is purposeful, organized, and institutionalized but not ritualized.
Alterative social movements seek limited social change and tend to be focused on a narrow group of people.
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10. Social Movements
Redemptive social movements are also focused on a narrow group of people, but they advocate for more radical change.
Reformative social movements advocate for limited social change but seek to affect that change across an entire society.
Revolutionary social movements seek to make radical change across an entire society.
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11. Social Movements
The classical model of social movements proposes that social movements come about as a collective response to structural weaknesses in society that have a psychological effect on individuals.
Resource-mobilization theory recognizes the importance of political context and goals to the development of social movements but also emphasizes that social movements are unlikely to emerge without the necessary resources.
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12. Social Movements
The political process model of social movements proposes that a social movement’s chances of developing are heavily influenced by three sets of conditions—
Expanding political opportunities
Indigenous organizational strength
Certain shared cognitions among the movement’s proponents
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13. Social Movements
Social movements generally evolve through three stages
Emergence — the social problem being addressed is first identified
Coalescence — resources are mobilized and concrete action is taken to address the problem
Routinization — a formal structure develops to promote the cause
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14. Social Movements
A social movement organization (SMO) is a group developed to recruit new members and coordinate participation in a particular social movement.
A professional movement organization is a type of SMO that has full-time leadership and a large membership base that plays a minor role in the organization.
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15. Social Movements
A participatory movement organization is a type of SMO that directly involves its rank-and-file members in decisions and activities to support the organization’s cause.
There are two types of participatory movement organizations —
Mass protest organizations advocate for social change through protest and demonstration.
Grassroots organizations tend to work through existing political structures to promote social change.
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16. Social Movements
Americans have traditionally had high participation levels in voluntary associations and there are various theories about why this is the case.
However, there is some evidence that volunteerism is on the decline in the United States, and one possible explanation is the influence of the Internet.
People can join groups online and donate money online to support causes without participating in any face-to-face meetings or activities. 16
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17. Social Movements and Social Change
Not all social change is produced by social movements—economic and political factors have a great deal to do with the evolution of society.
Social changes are not valued in the same way by all people—what is of major importance to one group may barely register for another group—and they do not affect all people in the same way. 17
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18. Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern Societies
Premodernity is social organization characterized by concentric circles of social affiliation, a low degree of division of labor, relatively undeveloped technology, and traditional social norms. 18
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19. Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern Societies
Modernity is social organization characterized by rationality, bureaucratization, and objectivity in which individuals are defined by overlapping group affiliations.
The transition from premodernity to modernity is linked to the expansion of scientific knowledge and the development of new technologies and political structures and to the notion of progress. 19
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20. Premodern, Modern, and Postmodern Societies
Postmodernity is in many ways a reaction against modernity:
Characterized by a questioning of the notions of progress and history
Rejects the idea of a single narrative and embraces multiculturalism
Perceives the individual as having multiple, conflicting identities 20
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21. Causes of Social Change
Social change can be caused by factors other than social movements, such as technological innovation, new information and ideas, and conflict between social actors.
Ironically, perhaps the greatest sign that a social movement has been successful is when there is no longer a need for it because it has achieved its goal. 21
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22. Causes of Social Change
In addition to providing a way for participants in social movements to connect, exchange information, and generally make their voices heard, the Internet has itself become a forum for radical social protest activities such as virtual sit-ins that jam web servers and online impersonation. The primary achievement of such protests is to draw media attention to a particular issue or cause. 22
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23. Concept Quiz
1. Which of the following is an example of mass collective action? a) A one-day strike by all Amtrak employees b) A rally in a state capital in support of stricter emissions standards for automobiles c) A boycott of a clothing manufacturer that has factories overseas where child labor is used d) A sit-in in the administrative building of a university by students who are protesting the firing of a professor
Answer: C
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24. Concept Quiz
2. According to ________, collective action happens when people with similar ideas and tendencies gather in the same place. a) resource-mobilization theory b) convergence theory c) emergent norm theory d) contagion theory
Answer: B
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25. Concept Quiz
3. Which of the following is a criticism of contagion theory? a) It downplays individual agency. b) It doesn’t explain why particular people emerge as leaders. c) It overemphasizes psychological tensions. d) It downplays the influence of cultural or emotional components.
Answer: A
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26. Concept Quiz
4. Which of the following is an example of a static identity? a) Being a student b) Being a graphic designer c) Being of Italian descent d) Being a precinct officer for a political party
Answer: C
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27. Concept Quiz
5. According to sociologist Georg Simmel, _________ refers to a form of social organization characterized by concentric circles of social affiliation. a) modernity b) premodernity c) postmodernity d) hypermodernity
Answer: B
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28. Concept Quiz
6. Postmodernity is characterized by _____________________.  
a) the notion that history is driven by clashes between opposing forces
b) a questioning of the power and relevance of social movement organizations
c) great cultural conflict that leads to social isolation and stagnation
d) a questioning of the notion that society is always progressing forward, building on its knowledge and inventions of the past to create a better future
Answer: D
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29. Figure 18.1 | Premodern Society

30. Figure 18.2 | Modern Society

31. Figure 18.3 | Postmodern Society

32. Table 18.1 | Types of Social Movements