“Social Movements as Politics”

Charles Tilly

Introduction

By 21C SM recognized as Global phenomenon: Zimbabwe, EU, Jubilee 2000, Costa Rica to Canada

This was not always so.

Origins of Social Movements

Europe and North America in late 18C (1750+)Popular uprisings have occurred for centuries, but SM, as a distinct form did not develop until the late 18C in Europe and N. America.

…

Tilly: Traces SM as distinctive form of contentious politics, looks at its HistorySM are contentious politics to the extent that:

Contentious: they “involve collective making of claims…that…conflict with someone’s else interests…”

Politics: “in the sense that governments of one sort or another figure…in the claim making…as claimants, objects of claims, allies of the objects, or monitors of the contention. ”

Origins of Social Movements

Need to study History to Understand SM as Distinct form of Cont. PolsNeed to identify the origins, and the evolving outline of SM, as well as the

surrounding forces that made SM possible.

Origins of Social Movements

Defining SM: Three (3) Elements:

1) Campaigns:

2) Repertoire:

3) WUNC: (Worthiness, Unity, Numbers and Commitment)

Defining Social Movements

Campaigns: sustained, organized public effort making collective claim on target authorities.

Link Claimants, objects of claims, and the “public”Each has to be present in SM. Authorities or objects do not always have to be

the govt, they could also be property owners, religious leaders.

Defining Social Movements

Campaigns: Link Claimants, objects of claims, and the “public”

Defining Social Movements

Claimants (SM)

Objects of Claimants (State, Corporation, religious leadership)

Public

Sustained Effort

Repertoire: development of special purpose associations which hold:

- Public meetings- Processions- Vigils- Rallies- Demonstrations - Petition drives- Media Campaigns

Have existed elsewhere, but must be integrated into sustained campaigns to be part of a SM.

Defining Social Movements

Campaigns: Link Claimants, objects of claims, and the “public”

Defining Social Movements

Claimants (SM)

Objects of Claimants (State, Corporation, Religious leadership)

PublicRepertoire

Meetings, Processions, Vigils, Rallies, Demonstrations, Petitions, Media Campaigns

WUNC: Public representations of…

Worthiness: sober demeanor, neat clothing, presence of clergy, mothers

Unity: matching in rank, head bands, banners, singing and chanting

Numbers: headcounts, signatures on petitions, filling streets

Commitment: braving bad weather, state repression,

Defining Social Movements

Campaigns: Link Claimants, objects of claims, and the “public”

Defining Social Movements

Claimants (SM)

Objects of Claimants (State, Corporation, Religious leadership)

PublicRepertoire

Worthiness, Unity, Numbers, Commitment

Campaigns: Link Claimants, objects of claims, and the “public”

Defining Social Movements

Claimants (SM)

Objects of Claimants (State, Corporation, Religious leadership)

PublicViolence ?

Worthiness, Unity, Numbers, Commitment

Campaigns: Link Claimants, objects of claims, and the “public”

Defining Social Movements

Claimants (SM)

Objects of Claimants (State, Corporation, religious leadership)

PublicViolence ?

Interpretations of Social Movements

Lorenz Von Stein in his (1850) book, History of the French Social Movement from 1789 was first to use in SM in scholarly discussion.

Early Definitions:Marx, Engels: Single, unitary (or entire) working class movement toward self-consciousness. (1840-1880s)

SM in the Plural: others spoke of multiple SMs.

Defining Social Movements

Historical Episodes that Appear to Match characteristics of SM: 3 MistakesToo broad an application of the term SM: any prior collective action

Examples: Women Movement: reading any political act of women into a

coherent movement spanning centuries.

Environmental Movement: any act on behalf of environment is part of the Environmental Movement.

Confuse SM collective action with existence of political organization.

Defining Social Movements

Social Movement: Distinctive Form, with a Distinctive History

Social Movement Combine: 1) Campaigns for collective claims to targeted authorities2) An array of claim-making performances3) Public representations of WUNC.

Defining Social Movements

Contemporary Attempts to Define SM: Useful, but IncompleteMany of these accounts are informative and useful, but “they do not provide a

coherent history of SM as a political phenomenon…”

Even those who have worked on a definition, have typically “subordinated” within a broader analysis of democracy or some other subject.

No “Laws” of Social Movement:

Defining Social Movements