Social Movement- Meaning, Definition, Characteristics, Types and Factors

# Social Movement

In a society a large number of changes have been brought about by efforts exerted by people individually and collectively. Such efforts have been called social movements.

A social movement is defined as a collectively acting with some continuity to promote or resist a change in the society or group of which it is a part.

A social movement may also be directed to resist a change. Some movements are directed to modify certain aspects of the existing social order whereas others may aim to change it completely. The former are called Reform movements and the latter are called Revolutionary movements.

# Definition of Social Movements

1. According to Lundberg:- “Social movement as a voluntary association of people engaged in concerted efforts to change attitudes, behavior and social relationship in a larger society.”

2. According to Anderson & Parker:- “Social movement is a form of dynamic pluralistic behavior which progressively develops structure throughout time and aims at partial or complete modification of the social order.”

# Characteristics of Social Movement

1. Social movement is an effort by a group.

2. Its aim is to bring or resist a change in society.

3. It may be organized or unorganized.

4. It may be peaceful or violent.

5. Its life is not certain. Continue for a long period may die out soon.

6. Social movements involve collective action.

7.  It generally creates a social change.

8. It is based on a specific ideology and is oriented towards a change.

# Types of Social Movements

(1) Migratory movements:- Migratory movement take place when a large number of people leave one country and settle at some other place. Mere migration of people does not mean migratory movement. There is a migratory social movement only when there is a common focus of discontent, a shared purpose or hope for the future and a widely shared decision to move to a new location. For example, the Zionist movement, the movement of Jews to Israel, movement of people from East Germany to West Germany.

(2) Expressive movements:- When people are faced with a social system from which they cannot flee and which they feel powerless to change, the result is an expressive social movement. In an expressive social movement the individual comes to terms with an unpleasant external reality by modifying his reactions to that reality. He tries to ignore the miserable present and fixes his gaze upon a glorious future. For example, Hippie movement.

(3) Utopian movements:- A Utopian movement is one which seeks to create an ideal social system or a perfect society which can be found only in man’s imagination and not in reality. Search movements are based on a conception of man as basically good cooperative and altruistic. For example, Sarvodaya movement.

(4) Reform movements:- The reform movement is an attempt to modify some parts of the society without completely transforming it. Reform movements can operate only in a democratic society where people have freedom to criticize the existing institutions and may secure changes. For example, movements to abolish untouchability, dowry system, preserve wild life, control population growth.

(5) Revolutionary movements:- The revolutionary movement seeks to overthrow the existing social system and replace it with a greatly different one. The reform movement wants to correct some imperfections in the existing social system but a revolutionary movement wants to root out the system itself. Revolutionary movements flourish where reform is blocked so that revolutionary remains the people’s one only alternative to their present misery. For example, Communist movements in Soviet Russia and China.

(6) Resistance movements:- The resistance movement is an effort to block a proposed change or to uproot a change already achieved. The revolutionary movement arises because people are dissatisfied with the slow rate of social change whereas resistance movement arises because people consider social change too fast. For example, D.M.K. movement against Hindi.

# Factors of Social Movements

1. Cultural drifts:- The Society is undergoing constant changes. The values and behavior are changing in all civilized societies. In the course of culture drift most of the people developed new ideas. To get these ideas operative in society they organize a movement. The development of a democratic society, the emancipation of women, the spread of mass education, the removal of untouchability, equality of opportunity for both the sexes, growth of secularism are few examples of cultural drift.

2. Social injustice:- When a group of people feel that injustice has been done to it they become frustrated and alienated. Such feeling of injustice provides fertile soil for social movements. The feeling of social injustice is not limited to the miserable poor. Any group, at any status level may come to feel itself the victim of social injustice. A wealthy class may feel a sense of injustice when faced with Urban Property Ceiling Act or high taxes intended to benefit the poor. Social injustice is a subjective value judgment. A social system is unjust when it is so perceived by its members.

3. Social disorganization:- A changing society is to some extent disorganized because changes in different parts of society do not take place simultaneously. One part changes more rapidly than the other producing thereby numerous lags. Industrialization has brought urbanization which has in its turn caused numerous social problems. Social disorganization brings confusion and uncertainty because the old traditions no longer form a dependable guide to behavior. The individuals become rootless. They feel isolated from the society. A feeling develops that the community leaders are indifferent to their needs. The individuals feel insecured, confused and frustrated. Confusion and frustrations produce social movements.

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