Question

Identify and define the four stages in the life course of a social movement.

For Soc

Answer 1

A social campaign is not a political party or interest group. They are described as a group of people with a familiar ideology who try to achieve certain common goals. Some peculiarities of social progress included in frictions with identified opponents, and they share a common identity. They can direct their aims in the formulation particular policy or more aimed at cultural change..

It identifies the first step of the social movement as Emergence. At this stage, cultural movements are preliminary, and there is limited to no organization. Participants may be troubled with some policy or some social situation, but they have taken no step to rectify their complaints, or, if they have, it is most likely specific action rather than common action.

The second step of the social campaign is identified as Coalescence. This stage is identified by the more defined sense of dissatisfaction. In this stage, participants try to highlight their concerns the people could perceive which. Further at this stage, a social campaign try to expand its strategy of action, appoints members, form networks, and holds protest marches.

The third step is known as bureaucratization. This stage is identified by higher levels of the management and formation of the alliance based strategies. Social movements at this stage can no longer involves in mass protest or could be inspired by inspirational leaders. They try to advance towards their goals by building supporters. At this stage, their political power is higher than in the premature stages. However, many social movements fail to bureaucratize their goals because of the difficulty for the members to maintain the emotional excitement due to continuous mobilization.

The last step in the social movement is the Decline, or “institutionalization.” Decline does not mean failure for social movements though. Rather, explains that there are four reasons due to which social movements can decline; Repression, Co-optation, Success and Failure.