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.