Welcome to the blog for LDST 304: Social Movements during Spring 2012 semester.
Here we’ll discuss course readings and expand our class discussions beyond the classroom.
For students, more details about this blog project are available on Blackboard.
For an example of a well-written blog post, see Amanda Lineberry’s blog post on the Center for Civic Engagement’s blog. She wrote about reading the Ella Baker biography and hearing Barbara Ransby’s speech. You can read her blog here>>
I think you did a really good job of taking the elements from the reading and applying them to a real world context that the rest of the class can relate to. You also summarized the key points of the chapter really well which is helpful to the rest of us so thanks!
Response to first question: I agree with you that the police are infringing on the protestors right to assemble, but police are necessary to keep the OWS protestors from overstepping their boundaries. So although I do think police need to be more lenient and respectful of the protestors, they definitely still need to be there to keep the OWS protest in line and keep everyone safe. It’s really hard to find the right balance between granting protestors their rights and keeping the peace. I wish I had a solution but I don’t and therefore I think over-policing is better than allowing OWS protestors free reign over Wall Street.
Response to third question: I personally think having some form of leadership or elite is extremely important towards the success of a social movement. I have discussed this theory in my other leadership classes very often and I think it is essential to have one person, or a group of people responsible for making sure their policies are heard and addressed. Horizontal leadership can work in some situations such as group projects but a movement as large and important as the OWS needs both a voice and a face. Someone needs to be appointed to drive the movement and make sure everyone stays on task. The OWS movement has such great potential for changing not only the American government but the world, however without a solid leading body they will never get far.
Response to final question: OWS is definitely a social movement there is no denying that, but because they do not follow Meyer’s fifth criteria, they are not as successful as other movements. I believe that Meyer’s five criterion are the guidelines for a successful movement, but that does not rule out other movements from being classified as social movements. So in response to your question, yes movements can fit some aspects of Meyer’s definition and not others. However, the levels of complexity and success of a movement will vary depending on how many of Meyer’s criterion are met.