Social Movements & Collective Action

Watch

• The History of Workers' Rights | City Rising ↗PBS SoCal
• Social Movements and Political Change | Sociology ↗Sociologylearners
• Social movements | Society and Culture | MCAT | Khan Academy ↗khanacademymedicine
• Social Movements Documentary 2021 ↗Anika King
• Social Change & Social Movements ↗Mark Guillette
• Decoding People Power: Why Modern Mass Rallies Do Not Succeed. A Deep Analysis of Protest Movements ↗Nobody Told Us

Read

• The Logic of Collective Action: Public Goods and the Theory of Groups ↗This seminal work explains why rational individuals often fail to act in their collective interest, a fundamental paradox for understanding social movements.Mancur Olson
• From Mobilization to Revolution ↗A foundational text that dissects the mechanisms of collective action, linking resource mobilisation to the political opportunities that enable or constrain protest.Charles Tilly
• States and Social Revolutions: A Comparative Historical Analysis of France, Russia, and China ↗This rigorous comparative study reveals how state structures and international pressures, rather than mass grievances alone, shape the conditions for revolutionary upheaval.Theda Skocpol
• Domination and the Arts of Resistance: Hidden Transcripts ↗Explores the subtle, everyday forms of resistance employed by subordinate groups, revealing the 'hidden transcripts' that challenge overt power structures.James C. Scott
• Framing Processes and Social Movements: An Overview and SynthesisEssential reading on how social movements construct shared meanings and interpretations, shaping public perception and mobilising adherents.David A. Snow and Robert D. Benford

Voices to follow

• Sidney Tarrow ↗His seminal work dissects the dynamics of contentious politics, offering a robust framework for understanding cycles of protest and transnational activism.Professor Emeritus of Government and Sociology, Cornell University
• Doug McAdam ↗A leading proponent of the political process model, he illuminates how political opportunities and resource mobilisation shape the trajectory of social change.Professor of Sociology, Stanford University
• Zeynep Tufekci ↗She provides incisive analysis on how digital technologies reshape the organisation, communication, and impact of contemporary social movements, often with unforeseen consequences.Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Columnist, The New York Times

Glossary

• ActivismActivism is the act of actively working to bring about social or political change. It involves taking direct action, like organizing events, speaking out, or participating in protests. For example, a student who regularly speaks up in class about climate change and organizes a school recycling drive is engaging in activism.
• AdvocacyAdvocacy is actively supporting or arguing for a cause, idea, or policy. It's about speaking up on behalf of someone or something, often to influence decision-makers. For example, a group of parents might advocate for more funding for their local school by meeting with local government officials.
• AllyAn ally is a person who supports and stands up for a group that is different from their own, especially a group that faces discrimination or disadvantage. They use their own position to help others. For example, a student who doesn't experience bullying themselves but stands up for a friend who is being bullied is acting as an ally.
• CampaignA campaign is a planned series of activities designed to achieve a specific goal, often over a set period. In social movements, it's a focused effort to raise awareness or bring about a particular change. For example, a school might run a "No Plastic Day" campaign for a month to encourage students to use reusable bottles and lunchboxes.
• Civil DisobedienceCivil disobedience is the refusal to obey certain laws or demands of a government or occupying power, without resorting to violence. It's a non-violent way to protest something considered unjust. For example, if a group of people peacefully sit in a public place where they are not allowed to protest a law, knowing they might be arrested, that's civil disobedience.
• Collective ActionCollective action is when a group of people work together to achieve something they couldn't do alone. It's about people joining forces for a shared purpose. For example, if students in a school all sign a letter asking for healthier lunch options, that's a form of collective action.
• GrassrootsGrassroots refers to movements or actions that start and grow from ordinary people in a community, rather than from leaders or big organizations. It's about change coming from the bottom up. For example, if neighbors in a small area decide to clean up their local park together without being told by the city, that's a grassroots effort.
• PetitionA petition is a formal written request, typically signed by many people, appealing to an authority about a particular cause. It's a way to show widespread support for an idea or demand. For example, students might create a petition with many signatures to ask the school principal to extend lunch break time.
• ProtestA protest is a public display of disapproval or objection to something, often a policy or action. People protest to show their strong feelings and try to convince others to change. For example, students might organize a peaceful protest outside the principal's office to object to a new rule they think is unfair.
• Public OpinionPublic opinion refers to the collective attitudes and beliefs held by a significant portion of a population on a particular issue or topic. It's what most people in a community or country generally think. For example, if a survey shows that most students in your school believe homework should be reduced, that reflects the public opinion of the student body on homework.
• Social MovementA social movement is a large, informal group of people who come together to work towards a common goal, often to bring about or resist social change. They usually last for a long time and involve many different actions. For example, the movement to protect the environment is a social movement, with many groups and individuals working to reduce pollution and save wildlife.
• SolidaritySolidarity is a feeling of unity or agreement among people with a common interest or goal, often involving mutual support. It's about standing together, especially in difficult times. For example, if all the students in a class refuse to do homework until their teacher gets a much-needed break, they are showing solidarity with their teacher.

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Where this connects to other fields, and why it's worth knowing.

• Civil Disobedience Law

  In a harsh regime, almost everyone secretly hates it but pretends to go along, because each person thinks they're alone. That's called preference falsification, faking what you believe out of fear. Then one person openly defies the rules, everyone realizes 'wait, we all feel this way,' and the whole thing can topple in a night.

• Art, Society & Identity Arts & Design

  Before a protest movement writes a single demand, it needs a look: a raised fist, one bold color, a song everyone chants. Those things glue strangers into a 'we' faster than any speech ever could. So protest art isn't just decoration slapped on afterward, it's the actual scaffolding that holds a movement together.

• Energy Systems & the Power Grid Technology

  The power grid stays steady thanks to huge, heavy spinning turbines whose weight rides out sudden jolts, like a flywheel that resists a shove. Strip that steadying mass away and one small glitch can cascade into a blackout. Societies work the same way: strip out the clubs, unions, and institutions that cushion shocks, and small sparks can throw the whole thing into chaos.