Theory of social movements

The authors who developed the methodological apparatus of the theory of social movements are considered to be American sociologists Mayer Zald and Robert Ash. The first works devoted to the development of the theory of social movements came to light in the 1970s ^[2] . At the same time, steps towards the formation of the theory of social movements as an independent direction within the framework of sociological science were carried out back in the 1920s , when classical theories of sociology emerged. They are characterized by a general focus on the search for socio-psychological determinants of the participation of individuals in social movements . This approach can be explained by the reaction to the sociological concepts of the 19th century, which determined social movements as a result of the rationalization of social life and changes in production methods . These theories are aimed at explaining such phenomena as crowd behavior , sectarian behavior, mass panic .

Within the framework of the classical approach, the behavior of a person in a crowd stood out in a special type, different from the “normal” behavior of a person in a normal everyday situation. The crowd behavior within these theories has the following characteristics:

• disorganization;
• spontaneity;
• inability to manage with social institutions.

A particular type of crowd behavior, on the one hand, is a consequence of the extreme psychological states of each person in the crowd and, accordingly, an increase in suggestibility and a decrease in the ability for critical thinking. On the other hand, there is an opinion that the behavior of the crowd is due to the reaction of individuals to situations of uncertainty.

For forty years, sociologists within the framework of the theory of social movements have developed several areas and theories, among which it is possible to distinguish the theory of resource mobilization, the theory of social movements, the concept of political opportunities, the theory of status politics, the theory of mass society and some others.

The key object of the theory of social movements, as the name implies, is social movements. M. Zald defines them as “a set of views and beliefs of a group of people who prefer to change some elements of social culture or the distribution of wealth in society, or both at the same time”.

The term social movement was first introduced by the German philosopher L. von Stein in 1850 when analyzing social movements in France. C. Tilly believes that “collective action consists of people acting together in the pursuit of common interests,” and “ mobilization is the process by which a group acquires collective control over the resources necessary for action. These resources can be labor, goods, weapons, electoral votes, and any number of other things. ” According to the position of the sociologist, the analysis of collective actions includes five elements:

1. benefit;
2. mobilization;
3. organization;
4. collective action;
5. opportunity ^[3] .

Social movements are varied. There are legal social movements ( lawsuits , rallies , demonstrations ) and acts of civil disobedience ( boycott , seizure of objects and territories).

The key goal of the social movement is to use available opportunities and resources for mobilization and change. There are four types of resources that play a key role in ensuring the success of a social movement:

1. cultural resources (theoretical aspect, special knowledge);
2. organizational (infrastructure, social networks and organizations);
3. human
4. material.

Four classic traditions of collective action were highlighted:

• political struggle;
• cultural framework;
• resources;
• discontent.

Mass Society Theory

The main goal of the theory of mass society is to study the effect of modernization and the social changes accompanying it on an individual in the conditions of an anomalous urban environment characterized by frustration , disorientation and irritation. From the standpoint of this theory, participation in social movements is an irrational extremist response to the high uncertainty of the environment.

Relative deprivation theory

This approach reflects the negative impact of rapid social change on individuals. The theory seeks to explain which factors have the greatest influence on the change in the social expectations of individuals in the context of globalization , urbanization , and political change. Deprivation means a deprivation of social benefits, separation from the prosperous level of society. This process is driven by growing expectations, and dissatisfaction generates a negative irrational reaction. The consequence of this reaction is participation in social movements. As a result, they concentrate all their attention on the phase of the emergence of collective behavior and do not make it possible to find out the organizational basis of movements and their potential connections with broader political movements.

Theory of Status Policy

Representatives of this approach view participation in extreme political movements as an attempt to preserve their own significance, identity and privileges in the fight against both real and perceived threats. The above refer to the classical theories of social movements.

Resource Mobilization Theory

Structuralist theory, which envisaged not an analysis of the reaction of a particular individual, but research at the level of social structures. It gained particular popularity in the 1970s, when the flowering of various political movements began ( feminist , anti-militarist , ecological, movements for the rights of sexual minorities ). The organization of the social movement and the leaders' attempts to mobilize all possible types of resources, from human to informational and financial, fall into the focus of research. Leaders of movements are considered as individuals who purposefully and rationally plan the actions of supporters, building a certain strategy. The basic concepts on which such theories are built are the availability of resources, the effectiveness of the organizational structures of the movement, etc. ^[4] .

Theory of New Social Movements

This approach examines the meaning of social movements more broadly - in the context of social change. Proponents of this approach believe that the development of social movements is associated with a lack of response and reaction to the requests and needs of their participants. New social movements that have emerged after class labor movements have a much more flexible and diverse structure, tactics and strategy of activity, based on different values. The main driver for the development of this approach was the transition from industrial to post-industrial society, when the volume of changes in political, economic and social life caused a rapid growth of various social movements. Accordingly, supporters of this approach believe that the emergence of social movements is due to a reaction to the processes of modernization.

In general, the classical theories of social movements have often been criticized for the idea that they have proposed that all participation in movements can be viewed as irrational behavior. In contrast, more modern - postclassical - theories focus their attention on collective action, shaped into an organized movement, with rationally sound goals and strategies.

• Social movement