Page 3 - Lessonnote_ Social Movement

 Scholars influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx offered a different view of violent

collective action. Historians like E. P. Thompson showed that the ‘crowd’ and the
‘mob’ were not anarchic hooligans to destroy society. Instead, they too had a ‘moral
economy’. In other words they have their own shared understanding of right and
wrong that informed their actions. Their research showed that poor people in urban
areas had good reasons for protesting. They often resorted to public protest because
they had no other way of expressing their anger and resentment against deprivation.

Theories of social movement

Theory of relative deprivation - According to this theory, social conflict arises when a social
group feels that it is worse off than others around it. Such conflict is likely to result in

successful collective protest. This theory emphasises the role of psychological factors such
as resentment and rage in inciting social movements.
Limitations of this theory – Perception of deprivation is not a sufficient reason. All instances
where people feel relatively deprived do not result in social movements.

To mobilise collectively in a sustained and organised manner, grievances have to be
discussed and analysed in order to arrive at a shared ideology and strategy.

Logic of collective action - Mancur Olson’s book The Logic of Collective Action argues that a

social movement is an aggregation of rational individual actors pursuing their self-interest. A
person will join a social movement only if s/he will gain something from it. S/he will
participate only if the risks are less than the gains. Olson’s theory is based on the notion of
the rational, utility-maximising individual.

Resource mobilization theory - McCarthy and Zald’s proposed resource mobilisation theory
rejected Olson’s assumption that social movements are made up of individuals pursuing
their self-interest. Instead, they argued that a social movement’s success depends on its
ability to mobilise resources or means of different sorts. If a movement can muster
resources such as leadership, organisational capacity, and communication facilities, and can

use them within the available political opportunity structure, it is more likely to be effective.

Limitations of this theory - Critics argue that a social movement is not limited by existing
resources. It can create resources such as new symbols and identities. Even with an initial
limited material resources and organisational base, a movement can generate resources
through the process of struggle.