Blog Post #2

Stewart, Smith and Denton discuss what the characteristics are that define a social movement. For a social movement to be considered such, it must have organization amongst the group itself. There needs to be unity and a common goal amongst the members in order to make their group a social movement. Also the movement must be aware of their surroundings and they must not invite certain members into their movement, such as government officials. Another characteristic is that there must be a variety of people amongst the group, there can be no discrimination of values. Social movements were created with the idea that groups of people can come together to make a point in an unoffensive way. They are intended to be non-violent and they attempt to use passive acts in order to get their points across. Stewart, Smith and Denton firmly state that a social movement is a passive way to persuade officials and individuals that change in necessary.

Any person can easily Identify that the Civil Rights Movement would probably be an easy example that would fit perfectly into all of the previously described situations. But taking a modern approach, I believe that Gay Rights Movement is an excellent example of a Social Movement. There is a common goal amongst its members and they are organized enough to have a drive and direction behind the movement. They don't invite self destructive members into their group, such as members of the Westboro Baptist Church. They have a variety of homosexual males and females ranging from all ages to all races as well. All demonstrations and parades are non-violent and passive as they attempt to change the public's view on homosexuality. I firmly believe that this group of people firmly fit the standards of a social movement, so therefore I would call this a social movement.

Blog Post 2

Chapter 1 of our text gives us a list of six characteristics that define social movements. First, a social movement has to be at least minimally organized. This means that in order for something to become a social movement it has to have at least a small organized group of people. Social movements are uninstitutionalized collectivities. This means that no part of any social movement can be a part of any established order that changes social, political, religious, or economic norms and values. In order to become a social movement, there must be large terms of geographical area, life span, events, and participants. Social movements must be able to affectively change both norms and values. A social movement must assume the powers to distinguish right from wrong because it constitutes an ethical and moral obligation. Social movements may attempt to satisfy their six essential requirements through bargaining, coercion, and persuasion.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is a social movement that encompasses the six characteristics that define social movements. Occupy Wall Street has an organized group of protestors that take up a large group of our nation and are able to get their message across by persuading others to believe in their movement. The Occupy Wall Street movement follows the basic ethics and morals of Americans and are not part of any established orders.

Blog Post 2

In Chapter 1, six characteristics of social movements are laid out for us after asking the question, "What is a social movement?". Firstly a social movement must be "an organized collectivity". Essentially, there must be organization within a social movement to be considered legitimate. This organization can be at any level, but it must be there. A social movement must be "an uninstitutionalized collectivity", which means that the discourse must come from someone who may not usually have the power to directly bring about change. Social movement must be "large in scope", so if there is only one person who stands for a certain issue, this can not be considered a social movement. Likewise, if the excitement of an issue lasts for one week, but never is addressed again, this can not be considered a social movement. There must also be real events occurring around this social movement in order for the movement to be real. A social movement must "promote or oppose change in societal norms and values", which follows along a belief and disbelief system. If the movement does not exist to bring about change, than it is not a social movement. A social movement must "encounter opposition in a moral struggle". Similar to promoting change in social values, this is the core of that characteristic. If a movement were trying to create change, but didn't oppose anything, it would have no purpose. Lastly, "persuasion is pervasive" within social movements. Social movements must desire to bring about change theoretically through bargaining, coercion, and persuasion.

A group that might be considered a social movement is anyone fighting for the rights of animals. Many organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have created an organized community of people who stand in this social movement. These people are "uninstitutionalized" because they are not the ones who make the laws protecting animals, but they are fighting for a general change of attitude and rights for animals by trying to have laws changed. There are people who rally around Christmastime to protect animals (an event), there is a large population of people who stand for animal rights (size), and people have been rallying around this issue for a long time. There is an extremely large amount of animal use in goods used by humans, which is a societal norm, and animal rights activists protest the use of these goods. Morally, many people believe that it is the right of humans to use animals for their benefit, but animal rights activists would argue that people do this in a way that is harmful to animals. To get other people on board with the protection of animal rights, members of PETA and other organizations might put out articles, protest leather companies, or eat vegan. All of these characteristics fit into the criteria of the characteristics of a social movement found in our book. I also consider the protection of animal rights to be a social movement.

Blog Post #2 - Ch 1

1. Stewart, Smith, and Denton discuss the means by which a social movement is characterized in chapter one of “Persuasion and Social Movements”. For a social movement to originate, there has to be a specific organization to start. One person who is passionate about a cause or issue will form some type of organization and pursue specific goals, though one person never actually forms a social movement completely by himself but rather through a cohesive group of people. Social movements are arranged ‘top-down approach’, meaning that the goal is what forms the social movement and from there they will continue to constitute and gain insight on their goals. Once a social movement begins and the goals are established, the leaders will form known end points, where they know they must have accepted marks to check off. Also, they will establish particular approaches to accomplish their goals. Social movement leaders recognize that their goals will not be achieved over night; it is a long process to achieve one’s ambitions. Social movements have many characteristics that promote a goal and ambition into a movement that people dearly wish to see change.

2 2. My chosen social movement for this course is animal rights, specifically focused on two SMO’s: PETA’s rhetorical advertising and HFA’s cause for humane farming. As the book states, there are organizations within social movements that strive for specific goals. PETA had a founder named Ingrid Newkirk that established the non-profit organization’s goals and sailed them into the right direction she envisioned. PETA wants to give animals the humane rights they desire but in provocative ways. PETA accurately matches the criteria listed in the book for a “typical” social movement. PETA has specific goals that they wish to accomplish, they want the public to recognize how inhumane animals are treated and that we do not have the right to not grant them their basics desires for life. PETA was cited several times throughout chapter 1, therefore, I would say with confidence that PETA is a SMO within the animal rights movement.

Blog Post Two

Chapter one of the text provides us with a list of characteristics given to us by Stewart, Smith, and Denton that define what a social movement consist of. These characteristics are important in differentiating a movement from an organization that simply follows a movement. The first characteristic a movement must ensure it has is at least minimal organization, which means it cannot simply consist of a small following of people. The second characteristic of any social movement is they remain institutionalized collectives, or remain outside of government, political, or religious views. Social movements often develop relationships with these institutions, however these relationships lead to both positive and negative outcomes for the movement. Social movements must also remain large in scope, but scope does not only encompass the amount of people following a movement. Scope of a social movement includes its size member wise, the time it has been around, and what major events have taken place within the movement. Social movements also promote or oppose change within society, which means they fight to bring about some form of change whether it is replacing existing social norms with new ideas or ideas from history’s past. Social movements also must have some opposition against them in a moral struggle brought about by the movement. This taps into our feelings morally to bring us to either oppose or support the movement’s ideals. This characteristic brings about our final characteristic of a social movement, which is its use of persuasion to bring about change.

            The animal rights movement, which I will be using in my third essay, posses all of the characteristics Stewart, Smith, and Denton list in chapter one of the text. The first characteristic the animal rights movement posses is organization. The movement will never hold one single leader, however it does exhibit incredible amounts of SMOs or Social Movement Organizations, literature, and unification of like-minded people. This enables them to achieve the minimal organization they need to be considered a social movement. Secondly, the animal rights movement remains as institutionalized as possible by ensuring their SMOs are not apart of government, political, or religious hierarchies. They simply use these hierarchies as a vessel when getting their views across or seeking change for their cause. The animal rights movement is large in scope, which characterizes it as a current social movement. The animal rights movement has spread across the entire world and has a following in all walks of life. This means you do not have to be considered a radical to support the ideals of this movement. The animal rights movement has been around since the 1970s making its scope of time fairly impressive for a modern day movement. It has also gained media attention throughout the decades of its existence through protests, boycotts, and other demonstrations aimed to broaden the membership of its followers. The animal rights movement aims to achieve better treatment of animals in all aspects of life and change social norms or values that go against what it believes animals deserve. This is a major characteristic for a social movement because if it did not seek any change it would not be a social movement for very long due to a lack of interest shown by its supporters. It also assumes the power to determine what is right from wrong in how we treat animals, which enables the movement to tap into our own personal morals and values. The animal rights movement is visibly trying to move us morally in our everyday life whether it be the student handing out pamphlets illustrating the horrors of eating meat, or the sad humane society commercials we see when watching television. These examples show us how the animal rights movement also plays off our emotions to seek change in current standards and laws. These emotional responses are important because movements use them to attain their desired goals.

Blog Post 2

        Social movements are organizations of beliefs meant to challenge the general “norm.” Stewart, Smith, and Denton describe social movements as an “organized collectivity.” A movement will only connect as a group when they become organized with a common goal. To be considered a movement, it must not be affiliated with an institution of some sort. Not only should a movement be large in numbers, but also in efforts and events. The duration of the movement is also key in determining the success. To change the norms and values of society, social movements have a wide range of beliefs and morals. It is never an easy task to establish change in an array of people because everyone has different ideals. These movements are a “moral struggle.” Any trend could be considered a movement, but a social movement has to persuade people of something. 

Women’s suffrage was a brutal social movement that occurred all over the world. Women organized themselves into many groups with the goal of equality. They wanted to be equally represented in government as well as treated equally to men. Many women chose to follow this movement and many events were held to help change society, such as picketing the White House. This movement promoted social change in that women are inherently equal to men and have earned the right to vote in elections. Because many believed in the traditional culture and gender role of women, it was an intense and grueling process for the women involved. 

Blog Post 2

Stewart, Smith and Denton analyze the characteristics of a social movement in many different ways. To be considered a social movement, there needs to be a sense of organization in the movement. There is some unity in the movement, joining together to make a movement. Also, social movements must be aware of its surroundings. The organization does not include people from groups such as the government. Another aspect included to be a social movement is that their must be a variety of people or regions included. Social movements are not there to go against one's value. They are there to prove their point in a harmless and unoffensive way. Social movements know their limit and are not violent in any way. They are there to get attention using passive actions to persuade. Together, Stewart, Smith and Denton agree that a social movement is to persuade the public that a change is in need.

One of the most common social movements is the Civil Rights Movement. I believe this is the easiest movement to consider a social movement because of the all nonviolent actions that the organizations took. The colored people in the south fought through so many actions that were uncalled for to get the rights that they should have earned from the start. The protests of sits-ins were very popular. The colored people sat where they deserved to be and the whites at times poured food on them. But to prove their point, the colored people remained calm to stand up for their rights. The groups that were organized whether it was the SNLC, CORE or SNCC all stayed strong through many discourses that happened in this movement.

Blog Post 2

According to the first chapter in Persuasion and Social Movements, there are six characteristics that constitute a group or idea as a social movement. These groups or ideas must be organized, uninstitutionalized with any other political or government group, large, promote an idea of change,  have belief that they are fighting a moral battle, and persuade the public to join their efforts. First, the group or idea must be organized, meaning that specific groups, leaders, and members must distinguished. A group cannot expect to gain followers if they do not have any sort of organization. Next, in order to be considered a social movement, the group must be uninstitutionalized with any other political or governmental group. This means that they cannot have a role in society as a structured group that institutes laws or has a say in the way society is run. Social movements must be large, but not only in the numerical sense. Social movements and groups must cover a widespread area and time period in order to gain recognition as true social movements. Social movements must also promote an idea of change, this is more or less what the group is 'all about' or what they are fighting for. Belief that they are fighting a moral battle is also important because it gives a social movement a purpose. This plainly means that the organization or group truly believes that what they are fighting for is the only true and moral choice, and that what they believe is for the betterment of society. Finally, social movements also must persuade the public to join their efforts by recruiting members and voicing their opinions. Otherwise these ideas won't gain a following and will not grow geographically or numerically in numbers,

Human trafficking awareness is a great example of a social movement that follows each of these six criteria. First, this social movement is organized by means of multiple groups that are fighting for this one cause. There is Love146, ECPAT, and EVE just to name a few. These human trafficking coalitions are not aligned with any governmental or political groups anywhere in the world. Human trafficking groups are large, and the movement has been spread world-wide over time. Human trafficking groups promote the idea that human trafficking is wrong through boycotting, advertisement, and rescue missions. These groups do believe they are fighting a moral battle for the betterment of society and the equality of all people. And finally, human trafficking coalitions are frequently trying to gain members and followers for their cause by advertising and hosting events to open society's eyes to what is happening in other countries and our own.

Blog Post 2

Social movements are, in fact, just what the phrase implies: a system of beliefs and/or disbeliefs that challenge the status quo of society and acquire followers in large numbers as well as a claim to morality. These are all key elements to a successful social movement, and necessary to ensuring the spread of whatever message or value system that is being promoted.  Every social movement struggles to change the status quo or the norms in society and promote their own values, such as gender/racial equality, animal rights, veterans’ benefits, etc. To promote these changes and values, a social movement must have the support of society and gain widespread notoriety through public events and a large time-frame. Social movements, as the phrase suggests, move beyond to where they originate and broaden the scope of their goals, sometimes even globally. One gathering of a disgruntled group of people in a certain area does not count, but a group that encourages more groups in other areas to form with them belief/disbelief system is vital to a social movement.

The Neurodiversity movement is still small, as it has only been around for two decades, but it is growing and strengthening slowly but surely, rallying for peoples with any and all neurological conditions or disorders to stand up to the negative view society has of them. Their goal is to get rid of the idea that people with neurological differences (Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, general learning disabilities, Asperger’s Syndrome etc.) have something wrong with them, and the value they promote is that people are simply neurologically different, and should only be addressed as such. They also are involved with a number of organizations, not just in one area, such as Autism Speaks, The Neurodiversity Working Group, and Autism Self-Advocacy Network, to name a few. This movement has a broad scope of followers, a belief/disbelief system, and a claim to morality. Spokespeople for this movement claim that like gays or lesbians, they are simply different and encourage society to celebrate those differences, just like any other civil rights movement. 

Blog Post #2: Social Movements

According to Charles J. Stewart, Craig Allen Smith, and Robert E. Denton, a Social Movement must meet six criteria: 1) It is Organized, 2) Uninstitutionalized, 3) Large in Scope, 4) Promotes or Opposes Changes in Societal Norms and Values, 5) Encounters Opposition in a Moral Struggle, and 6) Relies Primarily on Persuasion to Bring About or Resist Change (pp. 23). Essentially, Social Movements are never single minded, as they possess multiple and identifiable “leaders or spokespersons, members or followers, and organizations or coalitions” (pp. 2). Moreover, they are never a part of established orders. Instead, of following regulation, Social Movements strive to make a difference and change societal norms and values by relying on persuasion. Sometimes seen as “threats to traditional values and norms… movements generate strong opposition” (pp. 15). Furthermore, Social Movements are “Large in Scope,” this scope encompasses “geographical area, life span, events, organizations, leaders, participants, goals, strategies, and adaptations (pp. 10). 

The Women’s Liberation Movement or Feminist Movement is considered a Social Movement, as it matches all the descriptions delineated by the authors. First, the Feminist Movement is composed of various organizations all-striving for the equality of women. These organizations include: Equality Now, International Women’s Suffrage Alliance, The National Organization for Women (NOW), etc. The Women’s Liberation Movement is also, a Social Movement that is occurring throughout the world and for a vast amount of time, from slutwalks in Canada, to torchlight marches in England supporting rape victims, to protest in Saudi Arabia for driving rights, the Feminist movement is a global movement. However, despite its large support, the Feminist Movement has endured immense controversy and hardships in regards to changing societal norms and values. Some simple-minded individuals who have been habituated though their culture and tradition believe that women are naturally inferior to men, the Feminist Movement was once considered uninstitutionalized for this very reason and in some countries still is considered unethical. For instance, First-Wave Feminist (19^th and early 20^th century) fought to overturn legal inequalities, such as women’s suffrage. They accomplished this through the use of persuasion using verbal and nonviolent efforts to influence their target audience and alter their views on women’s equality through their thoughts, feelings, and actions. 

Blog Post 2

Blog Post 2

            Collectively, Stewart, Smith and Denton define social movements through a variety of characteristics.  Social movements at times cause confusion and disagreement, over the idea if they are actually social movements, because society labels them movements based upon trends and fads, internal changes and adjustments within established institutions, political action committees, social movement organizations isolated and limited acts of protest, cults, campaigns, uprisings, revolutions and civil wars.  They can be defined by their geographical area, life span, events, organizations, leaders, participants, goals, strategies, and adaptations.  Most importantly, the duration of the movement, the amount of activists and the events that are held to inform and protest determine how successful they will be.  There are six essential requirements for them to become and remain viable forces against change.  These include: transforming perceptions of reality, altering self-perceptions of protestors, legitimizing social movements, prescribing courses of action, mobilizing for action, and sustaining the social movement.  In conclusion, social movements can be categorized as struggles that can change the norms or values of society.

            The Gay Rights movement is a rather new social movement and prominent throughout the United States.   Although it may be hard to identify, there are leaders to this movement through various organizations.  Another important aspect of social movements is the campaigns they conduct.  Gay rights activist are working hard everyday to legalize gay marriage.  They conduct their campaigns from the top down with a leader and staff to run them.  They always have a goal in mind.  Something that makes this movement strong and successful is the size, time it has been since it began, and the events held to attract more activists.   If legalizing gay marriage were to become prominent throughout the country, it would change our societies values and soon homosexuals would be accepted throughout.  For example, in the past fifty years, racism of African Americans has slowly diminished.   Fifty years ago African Americans were subject to riding in the back of public buses and were segregated in schools.  However, now our society has an African American president.  Society is changing its values of equality among races.  In a few years, if the gay rights activists are successful, society will see homosexuals as equals as well. 

Jordan Dobrow