MASS SOCIETY THEORY:
William
Kornhauser advocated the Mass Society Theory in 1959. He suggested that mass
society is impersonal, industrialized, and highly bureaucratized. Socially
isolated people who feel personally low join movements, where they feel they
can achieve something. The emptiness felt by such people is filled by social
movements as they bring about a sense of belonging.
He
also observed that in a society where the social ties are weaker, there are
more chances of social movements. Sociologist such as Dough McAdam explained
that the main reason for people to risk their lives in social movements is
their strong desire to set right the wrongs and to overcome the injustices.
They also try not to isolate themselves as they are firmly rooted in families
and communities (Henslin, p. 609).
DEPRIVATION THEORY:
According
to this theory, people deprived of things deemed valuable in the society
whether money, justice, status, or privileges join social movements with the
hope of redressing their grievances. This theory was well explained by Karl
Marx. He stated that excessive capitalistic exploitation leads to
impoverishment of the working classes, which compels them to overthrow their
oppressors. However, Karl Marx recognized that abject misery and exploitation
do not necessarily result in revolutionary fervor.
He
pointed out that the suffering of the under-classes, whom he labeled the Lumpen
proletariate, can be so intense and their resulting alienation can be so
massive that all social and revolutionary consciousness are dead (Vander
Zanden, p. 375). Karl Marx also explained another type of deprivation called
relative deprivation, which is a situation where people believe that they are
being deprived of what is rightfully theirs.
It
is a perceived disadvantage arising from some specific comparison. In such
situations, people believe that they must join movements based on their
evaluation of what they think they should have in comparison to what others
have. However, this theory, which gives an insight into the origin and
development of revolutions, also holds a surprise. Improving conditions result
in a desire for even better conditions.
This
craving for more and more can also spark off revolutions. Another explanation
for the theory of relative deprivation is through the “rise and drop” of J
Curve hypothesis as explained by James Davies. He contends that revolutions are
likely to take place when a prolonged period of social and economic betterment
is followed by a period of sharp reversal. “People fear that the gains they
achieved with great effort will be lost, and their mood becomes revolutionary.”
RESOURCE
MOBILIZATION THEORY:
The
proponents of this theory claim that it is always necessary to know the forces
that energize and activate a social movement. They emphasize the factors such
as the availability of resources for pursuing particular goals and the system
of interpersonal relationships. It is considered important to have substantial
resources for the success of any movement.
These
resources include human labour, money, infrastructure and communication
facilities, access to mass media, and a positive public image. People are seen
to participate in social movements not as the result of deprivation, but as a
response to a rational decision-making process, whereby they weigh the costs
and benefits of participation .
In
many cases, resources and organizations outside the protest group are crucial
in determining the scope and outcome of collective action. External support is
essential for the movement of the poor. Most of the time, the success or
failure of the social movements is determined by the political factors in which
they get entangled.
STRUCTURAL STRAIN THEORY:
Neil
Smelzer developed one of the most influential theories about social movements.
The Structural Strain Theory identifies the following factors which encourage
the development of social movements (Macionis, pp. 619 and 620):
Structural Conduciveness:
Social
movements arise when people start thinking that their society has some
problems, which may include economic, social, cultural, or political problems.
Structural Strain:
When
the needs or expectations of people are not met, they begin to feel a sense of
relative deprivation. In Eastern Europe, the pro- democracy movements gained popularity
because of the perception of the people that their standard of living was far
lower than that of the people of Western Europe.
Growth and Spread of an Idea:
In
order to form a well-organized social movement, there should be a clear statement
of a problem, its causes and the solution(s) to the problem. Confusion
regarding the problem or suffering will make people express their
dissatisfaction and disillusionment in an unorganized way, i.e., through
rioting.
Precipitating Factors:
There
may be overt and underlying discontent, which could be transformed into a
collective action by a specific event.
Mobilization for Action:
Once
people share a common concern regarding a public issue, they become ready to
take action. This could take the form of protest, marches, rallies, and
demonstrations, distribution of leaflets, public meetings, and alliances with
sympathetic organizations.
In
Poland, the success of the Solidarity Movement encouraged the people of Eastern
Europe to agitate for change. As reform movements gainestrength, the pace of
change also increased. Change, which took a decade in Poland, took only months
in Hungary and weeks in other Eastern European countries.
