SOC 1105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Direct Energy, Industrial Revolution, New Social Movements

• School: University of Ottawa
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 1105
• Professor: Sam Alvaro

Document Summary

Explaining social movements (cont"d: deprivation theory, social movement seeking change arise among people who feel deprived, relative deprivation: perceived disadvantage from a specific comparison, critical review: everyone feels some deprivation. People do not organize simply because they suffer. It is a theory that is difficult to test. It ignores the social justice issues that movements address. It presents circularity or arguments: movements arise from strain and the only evidence of this is the movements itself: this theory ignores the role of resources like mass media or international alliances. Resource mobilization theory: any of social movements rises or falls on how well it attracts resources, mobilizes people, and forgets alliances. Culture theory: movements depend not only on material resources and the structure of power but on cultural symbols as well. Social movements gain strength a they develop symbols and sense of community that both build strong feelings and direct energy into organized action.