SOCI 102 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Critical Mass, Mattress

• School: UBC
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCI 102
• Professor: Catherine Corrigall- Brown

Document Summary

What is social movement: a group of people who try to change, or resist change, in society. Examples: civil rights movement, environmental movement, feminist movement, Resist movements: anti-refugee movements (in europe), white supremacists, anti- Participation in social movements is irrational for two reasons: it is against cost-bene t calculation, high cost, low bene t, individual e ort does not increase the chance of success, the my vote won"t make a di erence concept. Individuals tend to evade participation in collective action (like social movements) because they still bene t from whatever is gained whether or not they contribute. Example: roads, women"s right to vote, class sizes, clean air. So, if we all get the bene ts and it is a lot of time and energy to be involved, no one should ever get involved in collective action. We should all just sit at home and wait for good things to happen.