Tactics of Social Movements

1. Tactics are used to retain and enhance the loyalty of the members and to increase their numbers and members. They aim ta mobilizing the entire reservoir of support.

2. Tactics are used to persuade those who are not sympathetic to the movements’ goals to change their attitudes. The movement may adopt disruptive tactics aimed at forcing change.

Defined as the use of violence against civilian targets for the purpose of intimidation to achieve political ends (Robertson, 1987).

Two Kinds of Terrorism

1. State Terrorism

Used by authoritarian & totalitarian forms of government to spread terror against their own people as an instrument to further their political & social control (Grantham, 1984).

2. Revolutionary Terrorism

Used by some radical social movements which resort to violence to achieve their goals).

Life Course of Social

Movements

1. Agitation

It is the early stage of a social movement’s life course. Members of the new movement are too idealistic to stir up public opinion in favor of their view points. In most cases, their efforts were unsuccessful and the would-be movement is dissolved.

2. Legitimation It is the second stage of a social

movement’s life course and happens when agitation is successful. The movement gains support for the furtherance of the group’s objectives and becomes respectable. It now possesses a legal personality to make valid & legitimate representations.

3. Bureaucratization It is the third stage of a social movement’s life

course. The social movement’s organization grows steadily, becomes more bureaucratized and tends to become more engrossed in day-to-day administrative tasks. There is tendency to neglect and overload the problems the members originally set up to resolve. Failure to solve problems would mean abolition of the organization.

4. Reemergence of the Movement

The members now become discontented with how the movement is managed. They begin to question the relevance of the policies, programs and the organization itself. Due to discontentment among members, the original members may regroup and renew their campaigns to the uninvolved members. Thus, the cycle begins again (Robertson, 1987).

Prepared by:

PELAOSA, LARINO JR. S.BSED/MATH 3A