Teaching About Collective Behavior and Social Movements
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Issues in Issues Issues in Race & Society
Issues in Issues in Race & Society Issues in Race & Society Race Volume 8 | Issue 1 The Complete 2019 Edition In this Issue: Race & Africana Demography: Lessons from Founders E. Franklin Frazier, W.E.B. DuBois, and the Atlanta School of Sociology — Lori Latrice Martin Subjective Social Status, Reliliency Resources, and Self-Concept among Employed African Americans — Verna Keith and Maxine Thompson Exclusive Religious Beliefs and Social Capital: Unpacking Nuances in the Relationship between Religion and Social Capital Formation Society — Daniel Auguste More than Just Incarceration: Law Enforcement Contact and Black Fathers’ Familial Relationships — Deadrick T. Williams and Armon R. Perry An Interdisciplinary Global Journal Training the Hands, the Head, and the Heart: Student Protest and Activism at Hampton Institute During the 1920s — James E. Alford “High Tech Lynching:” White Virtual Mobs and University Administrators Volume 8 | The Complete 2019 Edition 2019 Complete 8 | The Volume as Policing Agents in Higher Education — Biko Mandela Gray, Stephen C. Finley, Lori Latrice Martin Racialized Categorical Inequality: Elaborating Educational Theory to Explain African American Disparities in Public Schools — Geoffrey L. Wood Black Women’s Words: Unsing Oral History to Understand the Foundations of Black Women’s Educational Advocacy — Gabrielle Peterson ABSASSOCIATION OF Suicide in Color: Portrayals of African American Suicide in Ebony Magazine from 1960-2008 — Kamesha Spates BLACK SOCIOLOGISTS ISBN 978-1-947602-67-0 ISBN 978-1-947602-67-0 90000> VolumePublished 8 |by Thethe Association Complete of Black2019 Sociologists Edition 9 781947 602670 Do Guys Just Want to Have Fun? Issues in Race & Society An Interdisciplinary Global Journal Volume 8 | Issue 1 The Complete 2019 Edition © Association of Black Sociologists | All rights reserved. -
Collective Action and the Evolution of Social Norm Internalization Sergey Gavriletsa,B,C,1 and Peter J
Collective action and the evolution of social norm internalization Sergey Gavriletsa,b,c,1 and Peter J. Richersond aDepartment of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996; bDepartment of Mathematics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996; cNational Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996; and dDepartment of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 Edited by Simon A. Levin, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved May 4, 2017 (received for review March 7, 2017) Human behavior is strongly affected by culturally transmitted processing, and decision making (11) and the costs of monitor- norms and values. Certain norms are internalized (i.e., acting ing, punishments, or conditional rewards that would otherwise be according to a norm becomes an end in itself rather than merely necessary to ensure cooperation (9, 14). Internalization of norms a tool in achieving certain goals or avoiding social sanctions). allows individuals and groups to adjust their utility functions Humans’ capacity to internalize norms likely evolved in our ances- in situations with a rapidly changing environment when genetic tors to simplify solving certain challenges—including social ones. mechanisms would be too slow to react (9). A society’s values are Here we study theoretically the evolutionary origins of the capac- transmitted through the internalization of norms (15), with some ity to internalize norms. In our models, individuals can choose societies being more successful than others due to their norms to participate in collective actions as well as punish free rid- and institutions (16). The presence of both costs and benefits of ers. -
W. E. B. Du Bois at the Center: from Science, Civil Rights Movement, to Black Lives Matter
The British Journal of Sociology 2017 Volume 68 Issue 1 W. E. B. Du Bois at the center: from science, civil rights movement, to Black Lives Matter Aldon Morris Abstract I am honoured to present the 2016 British Journal of Sociology Annual Lecture at the London School of Economics. My lecture is based on ideas derived from my new book, The Scholar Denied: W.E.B. Du Bois and the Birth of Modern Sociology. In this essay I make three arguments. First, W.E.B. Du Bois and his Atlanta School of Sociology pioneered scientific sociology in the United States. Second, Du Bois pioneered a public sociology that creatively combined sociology and activism. Finally, Du Bois pioneered a politically engaged social science relevant for contemporary political struggles including the contemporary Black Lives Mat- ter movement. Keywords: W. E. B. Du Bois; Atlanta School; scientific sociology; sociological theory; sociological discrimination and marginalization Innovative science of society There is an intriguing, well-kept secret, regarding the founding of scientific soci- ology in America. The first school of American scientific sociology was founded by a black professor located in a small, economically poor, racially segregated black university. At the dawn of the twentieth century – from 1898 to 1910 – the black sociologist, and activist, W.E.B. Du Bois, developed the first scientific school of sociology at a historic black school, Atlanta University. It is a monumental claim to argue Du Bois developed the first scientific school of sociology in America. Indeed, my purpose in writing The Scholar Denied was to shift our understanding of the founding, over a hundred years ago, of one of the social sciences in America. -
Transient Solidarities: Commitment and Collective Action in Post-Industrial Societies Charles Heckscher and John Mccarthy
bs_bs_banner British Journal of Industrial Relations doi: 10.1111/bjir.12084 52:4 December 2014 0007–1080 pp. 627–657 Transient Solidarities: Commitment and Collective Action in Post-Industrial Societies Charles Heckscher and John McCarthy Abstract Solidarity has long been considered essential to labour, but many fear that it has declined. There has been relatively little scholarly investigation of it because of both theoretical and empirical difficulties. This article argues that solidarity has not declined but has changed in form, which has an impact on what kinds of mobilization are effective. We first develop a theory of solidarity general enough to compare different forms. We then trace the evolution of solidarity through craft and industrial versions, to the emergence of collaborative solidarity from the increasingly fluid ‘friending’ relations of recent decades. Finally, we examine the question of whether these new solidarities can be mobilized into effective collective action, and suggest mechanisms, rather different from tra- ditional union mobilizations, that have shown some power in drawing on friending relations: the development of member platforms, the use of purposive campaigns and the co-ordination of ‘swarming’ actions. In the best cases, these can create collective actions that make a virtue of diversity, openness and participative engagement, by co-ordinating groups with different foci and skills. 1. Introduction In the last 30 years, there is every evidence that labour solidarity has weak- ened across the industrialized world. Strikes have widely declined, while the most effective recent movements have been fundamentalist and restrictive — turning back to traditional values and texts, narrowing the range of inclusion. -
Social Movement and Collective Action Area Exam
Social Movement and Collective Action Area Exam Updated August 2020 Format, Expectations, and Scope Students taking the social movements and collective action area exam are expected to be familiar with the development of the field, the dominant theoretical traditions, the major substantive questions and debates, and the various methodological approaches employed. At the same time, we want to make explicit that the canon upon which this field is based is largely dominated by white cis-men and by Americanist and Eurocentric perspectives. This is a problem not just in the social movements and collective action field, but across sociology more broadly. While the reading list provided here intends to be as inclusive as possible, we face the dilemma of ensuring that students are conversant in foundational works while keeping the list concise. This necessarily limits the inclusivity of the list. We therefore acknowledge this disparity and welcome students to challenge these inequities. Students may do so by providing critiques of canonical texts’ standpoints and biases; by suggesting how inclusivity, marginalized scholars, and under-examined cases can advance the field theoretically, empirically, and methodologically; and by bringing in under-utilized texts. At the same time, any challenge to the canon is going to be ineffective without deep familiarity with the canon. This reading list will therefore provide the foundation for innovation. On the day of the exam, students will answer three out of six questions (students will skip the three questions they least want to answer). Students can bring the reading list (below) and two single-spaced pages of notes to the exam (font must be at least 11 point). -
Centennial Bibliography on the History of American Sociology
University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln Sociology Department, Faculty Publications Sociology, Department of 2005 Centennial Bibliography On The iH story Of American Sociology Michael R. Hill [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub Part of the Family, Life Course, and Society Commons, and the Social Psychology and Interaction Commons Hill, Michael R., "Centennial Bibliography On The iH story Of American Sociology" (2005). Sociology Department, Faculty Publications. 348. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/sociologyfacpub/348 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Sociology, Department of at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in Sociology Department, Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. Hill, Michael R., (Compiler). 2005. Centennial Bibliography of the History of American Sociology. Washington, DC: American Sociological Association. CENTENNIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY ON THE HISTORY OF AMERICAN SOCIOLOGY Compiled by MICHAEL R. HILL Editor, Sociological Origins In consultation with the Centennial Bibliography Committee of the American Sociological Association Section on the History of Sociology: Brian P. Conway, Michael R. Hill (co-chair), Susan Hoecker-Drysdale (ex-officio), Jack Nusan Porter (co-chair), Pamela A. Roby, Kathleen Slobin, and Roberta Spalter-Roth. © 2005 American Sociological Association Washington, DC TABLE OF CONTENTS Note: Each part is separately paginated, with the number of pages in each part as indicated below in square brackets. The total page count for the entire file is 224 pages. To navigate within the document, please use navigation arrows and the Bookmark feature provided by Adobe Acrobat Reader.® Users may search this document by utilizing the “Find” command (typically located under the “Edit” tab on the Adobe Acrobat toolbar). -
The Neighborhood As a Social Structure for Collective Action
THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A SOCIAL STRUCTURE FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION: THE ROLE OF BONDING SOCIAL CAPITAL, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND NEIGHBORHOOD RACIAL HOMOGENEITY By Charles Collins A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Psychology – Doctor of Philosophy 2013 ABSTRACT THE NEIGHBORHOOD AS A SOCIAL STRUCTURE FOR COLLECTIVE ACTION: THE ROLE OF BONDING SOCIAL CAPITAL, CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND NEIGHBORHOOD RACIAL HOMOGENEITY By Charles Collins Collective action is a process by which individuals linked by a common goal engage in cooperative activities in order to affect socio-political change. Collective action takes a variety of forms including protests, sit-ins, and marches, and can address a wide swath of social justice issues. However, research on the mechanisms by which collective action takes place is still developing. Utilizing a national sample of urban neighborhood residents within seven cities, this dissertation is comprised of two related studies investigating the role that civic engagement, bonding social capital, and neighborhood homogeneity play in influencing collective action. Using path analysis, Study 1 investigates the mediating role of bonding social capital in the relationship between civic engagement and collective action. Study 2 utilized multilevel modeling (MLM) and includes a neighborhood level indicator – neighborhood racial homogeneity – to understand the relationship between individual level bonding social capital and collective action. Overall, the results reveal a complex relationship between civic engagement, bonding social capital, and neighborhood homogeneity on the outcome variable of collective action. Study 1 found that collective action was directly related to both bonding social capital and civic engagement, but that bonding social capital partially mediated the relationship between civic engagement and collective action. -
Discussion of Frames
10 Frames and Their Consequences Francesca Polletta and M. Kai Ho In 1979, the nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania suffered a partial meltdown and sent hundreds of thousands of residents fleeing as radiation leaked into the atmosphere. The resulting media coverage made “Three Mile Island” into an international symbol of the dangers of nuclear energy, prompted nationwide opposition to nuclear power, and shut down the nuclear industry for more than a decade. Yet, Three Mile Island was not the first accident of its kind. In 1966, the Fermi reactor outside Chicago experienced a partial meltdown followed by a failure of the automatic shut-down system. Officials discussed evacuation plans for area residents as they tried to avert the possibility of a secondary accident. The Fermi accident was no secret: the press was alerted as it was happening. But newspapers, including the New York Times, gave the episode only perfunctory coverage, mainly repeating company spokespeople’s assurances that the reactor would soon be up and running. Why did the Fermi accident not produce the public crisis that Three Mile Island did? Because it was viewed through different frames, says William Gamson (1988). At the time of the Fermi accident, nuclear power was covered by the press mainly in terms of a “faith in progress” frame that viewed nuclear power unequivocally as a boon to technological development and human progress. By Three Mile Island, however, media stories about nuclear power were less confident about nuclear power’s safety and effectiveness. The stage was already set for a critical and alarmist interpretation of the accident. -
Collective Political Action a Research Program and Some of Its Results*
Analyse & Kritik 23/2001 (©Lucius & Lucius, Stuttgart) S. 1-20 Karl-Dieter Opp Collective Political Action A Research Program and Some of Its Results* Abstract: This paper describes a research program that focuses on the explanation of political protest and its causes. The starting point is Mancur Olson's theory of collective action. This theory is modified, extended and applied to explain political protest. In particular, it is argued that only a wide version of Rational Choice theory that includes 'soft' incentives as well as misperception is capable of providing valid ex planations of protest behavior. Another part of the research program is the utilization of survey research to test the predictions about protest behavior that are generated from the wide version of Rational Choice theory. The research program further aims at (a) comparing empirically Rational Choice and alternative propositions, (b) providing micro-macro explanatory models, (c) dynamic theoretical models, and (d) explaining preferences and beliefs which are usually treated as exogenous variables. The paper further reports, some results of the research program. 1. Introduction Mancur Olson's theory of collective action advanced in his book The Logic of Collective Action (1965) is among the few testable theories with high explana tory power in the social sciences that has generated a vast number of empirical as well as theoretical research over decades. Although the theory is still debated the following general assessment will be shared by many social scientists: " ... since the publication of Man cur Olson's book there has been a whole series of advances in our understanding of collective action, a cumulative progress rare in the social • I gratefully acknowledge support 'Of the research reported in this paper by the two major German institutions devoted to advancement of scientific research. -
7 the Theory of Action Reclaimed
7 The Theory of Action Reclaimed Quid leges sine moribus vanae proficient? [Of what use are laws without morals?] Horace C: If you could converse with Talcott Parsons today, what would you say? HG: I would explain succinctly his only serious mis- take and suggest a way to correct this mistake. C: Would he agree? HG: In my dreams. Choreographer interview The analytical core for sociological theory proposed in the previous chap- ter includes a rational actor model inspired by Talcott Parsons’ voluntaristic theory of action (1937). My elaboration of this model, however, followed a differentpath from that taken by Parsons in his later work, which wandered away from the microfoundations of human behavior into the dusty realm of structural-functionalism. Big mistake. This chapter explains where and speculates why Parsons went wrong. Briefly, between writing The Structure of Social Action in 1937 and the publication of The Social System and Toward a General Theory of Action in 1951, Parsons abandoned the stress on individual efficacy of his early work (e.g., in his critique of positivism and behaviorism) in favor of treating the individual as the effect of socialization that when successful produces social order, and when unsuccessful produces social pathology. In The Structure of Social Action, Parsons mentions the term “socialization” only once, writing (pp. 400–401): Ultimate values of the individualmembers of the same commu- nity must be, to a significant degree, integrated into a system common to these members...not only moral attitudes but even the logical thought on which morality depends only develop as an aspect of the process of socialization of the child. -
GROUP SIZE and COLLECTIVE ACTION by Arun Agrawal Dept. Of
GROUP SIZE AND COLLECTIVE ACTION by Arun Agrawal Dept. of Political Science, Yale University 124 Prospect Street, New Haven CT 06520 Email: [email protected] and Sanjeev Goyal Econometric Institute, Erasmus University 3000 DR Rotterdam, Netherlands Email: [email protected] © 1997 by authors Paper to be presented at the conference on "Local Institutions for Forest Management: How Can Research Make a Difference," Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Bogo, Indonesia, November 19-21, 1997. ABSTRACT This paper examines the Olsonian thesis that group size is inversely related to successful collective action. We start with an empirical analysis based on primary data. This data gives information on a set of 21 villages in the Indian Himalayas that collectively monitor to protect and conserve community forests. This empirical analysis reveals that small and large villages fare relatively poorly, while medium size villages are much more successful, in the provision of monitoring. This finding goes against the general consensus that group size is inversely related to the likelihood of successful collective action. We identify two features of the collective good that appear critical. Both features are standard in the literature on public goods. The first feature is that the monitoring technology displays lumpiness, and must be above a certain minimum size to be worthwhile. The second feature is that the collective good is only imperfectly excludible and that this excludibility is decreasing in the size of the group. We formulate a theoretical model which incorporates these two features and develop a set of sufficient conditions on the monitoring technology under which the sustainable levels of collective good match the empirically observed patterns. -
Collective Action and the Mobilization of Institutions
Collective Action and the Mobilization of Institutions David Lowery University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Virginia Gray University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Jennifer Anderson University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Adam J. Newmark Wake Forest University Bias in the composition of interest communities is often explained by reference to variations in the collective action constraint facing voluntary and nonvoluntary organizations. But with the excep- tion of literature on PAC formation, studies of direct institutional mobilization are rare. More often than not, their mobilization advantages vis-à-vis problems of collective action are simply assumed. This paper fills this gap by testing the collective action hypothesis on direct institutional mobiliza- tion. We argue that the PAC studies are flawed as tests of this hypothesis; they study the wrong mode of political activity and use selective samples and limited research designs. We develop a new test using state data on seven types of institutions to solve these problems. We also compare the collec- tive action problem facing institutions to the related problems facing voluntary organizations. We find strong evidence of collective action problems in institutional mobilization, problems that make inter- est populations of nonvoluntary and voluntary organizations appear far more similar than commonly thought. The literature on organized interests has long noted that interest systems are often biased in their composition. Using a common measure of bias of the inter- est system by examining the distribution of participants minimally active in various stages of the policy process, a number of scholars have noted that the dis- tribution of interests before government reflects only poorly the distribution of interests in society (Baumgartner and Leech 2001; Berry 1999, 20; Caldeira and Wright 1990; Golden 1998; Salisbury 1984; Schattschneider 1960; Schlozman 1984; Schlozman and Tierney 1986; Walker 1991, 59).