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CHAPTER
15
What drives social change? 281
reactions to events and new opportunities
What are the theories behind social movements? 291
functionalism: social movements challenge the equilibrium of society and give
­people a way to relieve their frustrations and emotions about a particular subject
conflict theory: social inequality creates discontent among some, which can lead to
social movements
symbolic interactionism: social movements use frames to define and further
their cause
feminist theory: feminism is itself an example of a social movement
How do social movements influence society? 295
social movements: provide an ever-changing sociological landscape; encourage the
development of new theory and the application of existing theory
get the topic:
What Drives Social Change?
Functionalism: Value-Added
Theory 291
Symbolic Interactionism: Framing
Processes 291
Feminist Theory: An On-Going Social
Movement 292
Social Policy: Government Cash for
Clunkers 295
Chapter 15
296
Shifts in Society 281
Collective Behaviour 284
Social Movements 286
Conflict Theory: Deprivation 291
Theories
Conflict Theory 291
Symbolic Interactionism 291
•people concentrate on the things that they do not have, and inequality causes discontent
•relative deprivation refers to the gaps between what people have and
what they expect
•successful social movements use frames to further their cause
•the frame alignment process occurs when social movements link
their goals to the goals of other organizations
Feminist Theory 292
Functionalism 291
•smelser’s value-added theory looks at how structural factors i­nfluence
the possibility and kinds of collective behaviour
•each factor is a necessary but not sufficient determinant of collective
behaviour
•for feminist theorists, the fundamental inequality in most societies that
needs to be redressed is gender inequality
•true gender equality will exist when there has been a fundamental
change in the ideology that guides our behaviour
Key Terms
social change is how culture and social
institutions change over time. 281
futility is the claim that a reform cannot work
because the social problem is unsolvable. 283
perversity claims that any attempts to fix a
problem will actually compound the issues the
change was trying to address. 283
jeopardy is the claim that attempting to
solve a problem will only draw attention away
from other, more important issues. 284
collective behaviour is any social interaction in which a group of people engages in
behaviour that is not in their normal
routine. 284
crowd is a large group of influential people
who gather for a temporary purpose. 284
mobs are groups characterized by high levels
of emotion that engage in some type
of focused action that can be violent or
disruptive. 285
hysteria is a heightened emotional state that
can lead a group to violence. 285
riots are emotional and violent disturbances
of the peace by crowds that lack a central
focus. 285
fashion is an object, a style, or a
behavior that becomes popular for a period of
time. 285
fad is a temporary fashion or action the
­public embraces. 285
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craze occurs when a fad leaves a lasting
effect on society. 286
panic is an extreme fear based on something that might happen. 286
rumours are stories or statements that lack
confirmation or certainty. 286
urban legends are rumours that are presented as true stories that act as cautionary
tales. 286
social movements are activities that
­support or protest social issues, and they
are usually organized by nongovernmental
­organizations. 286
campaigns are organized and ongoing
efforts to achieve a specific goal. 286
repertoires are actions used to promote interest and involvement within a movement. 287
WUNC refers to the members of a movement who want to show the public the worthiness, unity, numbers, and commitment of their
movement. 287
alternative social movements want to create a change in specific people’s thoughts,
practices, and beliefs regarding a particular
issue. 288
frame alignment process occurs
when social movement organizations
link their goals to the goals of other
organizations. 291
redemptive social movements focus on
specific individuals, but they seek radical,
rather than limited, change. 288
frame bridging occurs when two or more
groups that may be somewhat opposed to
each other join forces. 292
reformative social movements seek to
change a society’s thoughts and actions but
only in a limited way. 289
amplification occurs when ideas
become elaborated and sometimes
exaggerated. 292
progressive means favouring or promoting
change. 289
extension refers to the way social
movement organizations seek to align
their interests with those of other groups
that are related, sometimes furthering
ideas that were not originally in their
frame. 292
regressive means seeking to stop
change. 289
revolutionary social movements, sometimes called transformative social movements,
seek to change the thoughts and actions of all
society in radical fashion. 289
relative deprivation points to the gaps
between what people have and what they
expect. 291
transformation changes the old
meanings and understandings of the
problem and creates new and innovative
ones. 292
Sample Test Questions
ESSAY
1. Discuss the four types of social movements and the features
of each one.
2. What are the stages of social change?
3. What is relative deprivation?
4. How do sociologists from the four sociological paradigms view
social movements?
5. How does the culture jamming movement that Naomi Klein
­discusses differ from other social movements?
Where to Start Your Research Paper
For examples of social movements and groups in Canada, go to:
Greenpeace: www.greenpeace.org/canada.
Gwen Jacobs (Ontario law for women to be topless):
www.fcn.ca/Gwen.html.
David Suzuki Foundation: www.davidsuzuki.org.
Collective Behaviour and ­Social Movements
1. Which of the following statements about mobs is false?
a. They are violent and disruptive.
b. They have high levels of emotions.
c. They have no central focus or intent.
d. They are one form of collective behaviour.
2. Social protesters who argue perversity claim that
a. there is no solution to the problem.
b. any change will only make the problem worse.
c. the so-called problem is not really a problem at all.
d. focusing on the problem means ignoring more important things.
3. Which term describes the process of social movement organizations
linking their goals to the goals of other organizations?
a. Frame bridging
b. Frame alignment
c. Structural conduciveness
d. Relative deprivation
4. Which of the following is an example of a craze?
a. People redecorating their home using feng shui techniques
b. People going on a date at a video arcade
c. People attending a DARE presentation
d. People waiting in line to buy a Wii
5. Which type of social movement seeks to create limited change for
the entire society?
a. An alternative social movement
b. A redemptive social movement
c. A reform social movement
d. A revolutionary social movement
297
These multiple-choice questions are similar to those found in the test bank that accompanies this textbook.
October Crisis in Quebec, 1970: www.historyofrights.com/events
/flq.html.
Aboriginal rights in B.C.: www.bctreaty.net/files/about_us.php.
Universal health care in Canada: www.cupe1975.ca/bursary/burs5.
html.
Remember to check www.thethinkspot.ca for additional
­information, downloadable flashcards, and other helpful
­resources.
ANSWERS: 1. c; 2. b; 3. b; 4. b; 5. d
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