Social movement

 Social movements are any wide social organization which people are connected through their shared interest in blocking or affecting social change. Social movements do not have to be formally organized. Organised social structures like modern day armies, political societies, and popular movements required freedom of expression, education and relative economic independence. Giddens has identified four areas in which social movements operate in modern societies:

1. democratic movements that work for political rights.

2. labor movements that work for control of the workplace.

3. ecological movements that are concerned with the environment.

4. peace movements that work toward, well, peace.

<This is a types of social movement>

<Stages of social movements>

 There are a variety of theories : Deprivation Theory, Mass-Society Theory, Structural-Strain Theory, Resource-Mobilization Theory, Political Process Theory, Culture Theory.

Deprivation Theory argues that social movements have their foundations among people who feel deprived of some good(s) or resource(s). According to this approach, individuals who are lacking some good, service, or comfort are more likely to organize a social movement to improve their conditions.

 Mass-Society Theory argues that social movements are made up of individuals in large societies who feel insignificant or socially detached. Social movements, according to this theory, provide a sense of empowerment and belonging that the movement members would otherwise not have.

 Structural-Strain Theory is also subject to circular reasoning as it incorporates, at least in part, deprivation theory and relies upon it, and social/structural strain for the underlying motivation of social movement activism. However, social movement activism is, like in the case of deprivation theory, often the only indication that there was strain or deprivation.

 Resource-Mobilization Theory emphasizes the importance of resources in social movement development and success. The theory argues that social movements develop when individuals with grievances are able to mobilize sufficient resources to take action.

 Political Process Theory is similar to resource mobilization in many regards, but tends to emphasize a different component of social structure that is important for social movement development: political opportunities.

 Culture theory builds upon both the political process and resource-mobilization theories but extends them in two ways. First, it emphasizes the importance of movement culture. Second, it attempts to address the free-rider problem .