Social Movements
Throughout history people with money and power have had a strong role in determining social reality. When their definition of reality or the norms that the powerful have established is bothersome or unfair to a particular group of people, the oppressed may push for a change within the social structure. When a social movement occurs a group of people using various means of protest are trying to change or keep from changing society. Be it a positive or free social structure, the first element of social change is communication. By pointing out the unjustness of the system, perceived or real, to the effected group a subculture often forms, which organizes itself due to the negative force of the issue. There are direct and indirect methods to changing a social norm. Some groups use acts of violence and others resort to civil disobedience, which changes social consiousness by introducing it as the norm over time. The definition of society is never changed overnight, but must be fostered by time. Even after a violent change a construction of the new social norm needs to manifest. A very successful social movement that comes to mind is the civil rights movement. Not only did the blacks rebel but they also gained support from whites as well. Martin Luther King stressed non-violent protest which proved to be a huge element in their success. Though, much was accomplished by the movement, unjustness is still of major issue. Social reality constructs peoples view of the world. The elements of that reality are usually accepted as normal and common. Sometimes new elements of society are proposed, through laws, education, advertising and many institutions. When a norm or proposed norm is unfair many times people are sparked to do something about it. Protests are not always successful, but when done on a large enough scale are able to aware people about the issue. Thus, social movements are usually started inorder to change or stop changes in what is...
View Full Essay