Sociological accounts of social movements

Résumé du document

Contemporary sociological accounts of social movements are mainly influenced by the ‘new American paradigm' (crossley) arguing that social actors are rational calculators. According to these sociologists, emotions associated with irrationality are opposed to knowledge linked with rationality. It could be said that sociological accounts are neglecting the importance of emotions in the analysis of social movements. Emotions can be positive such as joy, or negative like anger. Jasper divides emotions between affect (hatred, love, solidarity, suspicion or trust), reactions (shame, anger, outrage) or moods (chronic and recurring feelings without direct object : compression, depression, defiance, pride enthusiasm). These emotions can have bodily symptoms and can be experienced inside or outside a social movement. Social movements can be considered as collective group seeking to protest and change some aspects of a society such as women's movements or green's movement. Sociological accounts intending to understand the dynamics and properties of social movements seemed focused on emotions with the collective behaviour approach but since the 1960s/1970s, the new American paradigm is a counter revolution as far as emotions are concerned. It can be asked if sociologists are not neglecting the role displayed by emotions in social movements' dynamics.

Extraits

[...] It did focused on emotions as a starting point that shapes social movements. Nevertheless, sociologists of this trend (Blumer and Smelser) delt with emotion as a magic irrational force what led to see emotions as irrational. Influenced by the crowd theory they highlight the primitive level of feelings and legitimate the negative view of emotions in social movements' studies as a deviant behaviour. This theory cannot be criticised for ignoring emotions but because it led to a misunderstood of emotions as only irrational and as protesters are hysterical people.To conclude this first part of my essay, I would like to underline that sociological account until the late 1990s can be criticised for ignoring the importance of emotions. [...]

[...] Emotion is a powerful factor of mobilization in social movements. But there is also a need to focus on the impact of emotions during the protest. Emotions play a role on external opportunities, resources allocation and the success of a social movement (Gould).Emotions are socialized to become ‘emotion culture' or ‘feeling rules' (Gould). Gould study emotions in the case of Act Up. Act Up success, she argues, is due to its ability to provide a solution to the ambivalence of anger and protest that lesbian and gay wer feeling.It managed in changing the way they felt into protest.Moreover, emotion utterances are shaping the trajectory of social movements. [...]

[...] Before the late 1990s, it can be said that emotions in the sociological account on social movements were not taken seriously and underestimated. If sociological accounts on social movements were ignoring the importance of emotions before recently, emotions are beginning to be more and more studied. Therefore, sociologists will be less and less likely to be criticised for their ignorance as far as emotions are concerned In a second part, let us show that some sociologists are intending to ‘bring emotions back' in the study of social movements and what influences can emotions have. [...]

[...] To use Jasper words : a threat of irrationality has prevented students of social movements from incorporating emotions into their models, the time has come to rethink this stance' 152) Bibliography - Nick Crossley (2002) : Making sense of social movements. - Deborah B. Gould (2004) : ‘Passionate political processes : bringing emotion back into study of social movements' in Goodwin and Jasper (eds.) : Rethinking social movements : structure meaning and emotion. - Helena Flam (2004) : Anger in repressive regimes a footnote to Domination and the Arts of Resistance by James Scott', European Journal of Social Theory 171-88. [...]

[...] - Mary Homes (2004) : importance of being angry anger in political life', Introduction to Mary Holmes (ed.) : Special Issue of the European Journal of Social Theory on ‘Anger in Political Life' - David Ost (2004) : ‘Power as the mobilisation of anger emotions in movements and in power', European Journal of Social Theory 4:229-44 - James M. Jasper (1998) : emotions of protest', extract 15 in Goodwin and Jasper (eds, 2003): The Social Movements Reader. - Sian Sullivan (2005) : are heartbroken and furious!” Violence and the (anti-)globalisation movement(s)', ch of Catherine Eschle, Bice Maiguashca (eds.). I could not find in the library the main reference (only one copy that disappeared): Jeff Goodwin, James M. Jasper, Francesca Poletta (2001): Passionate Politics Emotions and Social Movements. [...]