SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
1.Collective Action: At its core, a social movement thrives on collective action that is sustained over a prolonged period. This isn’t a spontaneous, brief outburst of emotion but a planned and consistent push towards achieving certain objectives.
2.Direction: Often, the state (or governing authority) is the primary target of these movements, especially when the objective is to bring changes in the state’s policies or practices.
3.Organisation: A genuine social movement is not haphazard. It has a structure — a leadership hierarchy, a decision-making process, and a mode of operation, setting it apart from disorganised protests.
4.Shared Objectives And Ideologies: Participants of a social movement have ‘common goals’ and ‘shared beliefs’. They unify under a collective ideology and work towards a mutual objective.
5.Orientation For Change: Every social movement has an approach or strategy for inducing the change they desire or for preventing an unwanted change.
6.Dynamic Nature: Over time, the defining features of a social movement might change based on the circumstances and evolution of the movement.