POLI 227 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: North American Free Trade Agreement, International Allies F.C., Oil Spill
4 Feb 2019
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Document Summary
Social movements arise to champion a cause that cannot be adequately addressed through existing channels (the "political opportunity structure") Initially, they are not institutionalized; their demands may be integrated into existing institutions. Arise without support or funding from the state. Message and demands and sometimes members can be integrated into existing institutions. Ties between prospective members are essential to the initial formation of a group, and to expanding its membership. When pre-existing networks are present, recruitment will be more successful - these networks may at first be dormant. Otherwise, movements will remain limited and gain little traction. This challenges the notion of protests as completely spontaneous. It suggests that large-scale protests have more direction and cohesion than is readily apparent. Social movements emerge through economic and political shifts. These shifts usually correspond to a drop in state repression, or the emergence of divisions among the ruling elite.
