Social Movements Reader

           Today, we are living in a world where democracy has been greatly overrated. The indirect democracy that we “beneficiate” from, has managed to let us speak… at a very low volume. Sometimes even enabling the mute button without our awareness. The changes that societies have been experiencing, are not always favorable to everybody, it is then that we need to turn our amplifiers on and let our voices be heard. Social movements are the motor vehicle of these demands and have proven, over the years, that the results are always favorable.

            Goodwin and Jasper introduce us to social movements by explaining their complexity. A social movement is “a bit like art” (5), according to the editors. Like any art piece, a social movement requires time, dedication, and a whole lot of character. In Goodwin and Jasper’s introduction they explain the necessity of social movements in order to reach a more productive society. One that does not just “endlessly reproduce [itself]” but instead, advances in the pursuit of a better and more productive social stage. These positive changes are only possible through social movements that persuade the people in charge to not “routinize everything” (4), but instead “recognize new fears and desires” (4) and deal with them through social changes.

M.A.

http://www.amazon.com/Social-Movements-Reader-Blackwell-Sociology/dp/0631221964