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Click on each question to check your answer.
1. What is a social movement and what activities do they undertake?
Answer: Social movements are organized by groups of people who launch sustained challenges to existing holders of power in the name of a wronged population. Social movements undertake a variety of strategies and tactics to support their cause. These strategies and tactics might include protesting in the streets, occupying buildings, sending emails to political leaders, striking, and boycotting certain products. These actions demand that people in power listen to the demands of the movement’s members.
2. What are the primary elements of a social movement according to Charles Tilly?
Answer: Charles Tilly theorized five primary elements which he believed were necessary for something to be considered a social movement: a sustained challenge; engagement with power holders; actions on behalf of a wronged population; work to demonstrate worthiness, unity, numbers, and commitment; and participate in unauthorized action.
3. What is the free-rider problem?
Answer: The free-rider problem is a theoretical explanation developed by Mancur Olson to explain participation in social movements. Olson believed people tend to avoid participating in collective action because they still benefit from whatever is gained whether they contribute to the action or not. This suggests collective action is unlikely to occur even when large groups of people have common interests.
4. What determines the methods in which people participate in social movements?
Answer: Many people participate in social movements and do so in various ways from joining a social movement organization to doing little things that support social movement causes. Two things primary influence how people engage with social movements: risk and cost considerations. In terms of risk, potential participants must weigh what risks they are willing to take by participating in a social movement. The level of risk they are comfortable with will determine how or if they participate. In terms of costs, potential participants must think about how much in terms of time and resources they are willing to incur in order to participate in a social movement. The costs potential participants are willing to incur will determine how they participate in a movement.
5. What are the main elements used to explain social movement participation?
Answer: There are four main elements used to explain social movement participation. The first is ideological commitment, or how committed the participant is to the goals of the movement. Ideological commitment is important because it makes people at least cognitively available to participate in a movement. The second element is resources, as individuals must have the resources to allow them to participate in movements. Money helps people translate their beliefs into action. The third element to explain participation is biographical availability, which refers to being available biographically to convert their ideology and resources into action. Finally, having social ties to other activists is another central component of participating in social movements. Some sociologists argue that a collective identity, a sense of “we-ness” that comes from shared attributes or experiences among a group, is a prerequisite for collective action.