Salient features of social movement.

c) Enlist salient features of social movement.

Diani (1992) mentioned about ‘an implicit, “empirical” agreement about the use of the term is largely missing’ reflecting the lack of agreement among the social activists and scientists regarding the term social movement. The term social movement refers to “various forms of collective action aimed at social reorganization.” In general, social movements are not highly institutionalized, and arise from spontaneous social protest directed at specific or widespread grievances. (Ambercrombie, Hill and Turner, 1986). Paul Wilkinson (1971) perceives it as a deliberate collective endeavour to promote change in any direction by any means, including violence, illegality, revolution or withdrawal into a ‘utopian’ community. A social movement must evince a minimal degree of organization ranging from a loose, informal organization to the highly institutionalized or bureaucratized corporate group.

Madden (1995) describes a social movement as an ‘organized attempt by a number of people united by a shared belief to effect or resist changes in the existing social order by non-institutionized means’. Social movements aim at ‘attaining of social recognition and the assertion of rights or existential interests hitherto denied to a group or category of people.’ In short, social movements may be seen as deliberate and collective action undertaken by people without any established institutional structure, to bring about changes in society thought to be desirable and essential for enabling them to lead a decent and dignified life in accordance with normative standards. The salient features of a social movement are:

1) discontentment with the existing social system, or the felt need to protect and promote far neglected interests or social identity at jeopardy

2) collective awareness of and commitment to a common cause

3) willingness to launch collective action through mobilization of like-minded people’s efforts

4) initiation of some kind of commonly agreed upon activity according to a pre-determined programme schedule

5) reference to values of autonomy, equity, human dignity, human rights, etc.

6) revolt, rebellion, reform or revolution and employment of methods such as protest, demonstration, strike, gherao, bandhs, etc.

7) absence of any distinct point marking the beginning or termination of the social movement.

All social movements motivate their participants to analyse and interpret how a situation promotes or thwarts their common collective interests and decide on course of actions necessary to achieve what they visualize to be desirable. However, once they achieve the desired results, they terminate, paving the way for other movements relevant to other needs in society, to emerge. It is certain that the social movements will prevail until such time that political, economic, educational and social institutions guaranteeing the development of the right kind of humans are established. Thus, as observed by T.K. Oommen (1977: 16), social movements are highly significant to social work, as they ‘provide the stage for confluence between the old and new values and structures,’ thereby challenging the existing social structure, eradicating social evils and preventing exploitation.