Social Theories

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.