Social movements' strategies to rally supporters to a cause

Résumé du document

Regarding political participation, the conventional one including the system of elections is well-known but reductive in terms of democracy. However, there are other practices to influence the political system and decisions of governments. In that sense, the unconventional political participation is much more complex and difficult to apprehend. It occurs in the margins of codified political system and drew the attention of political scholars, as highlighted by the current studies of social movements which is at the intersection of sociology and political science.

Social movements or collective action, mobilization, and protest are close in their willingness and actions to change the current order of things. All are the result of a cause, emerging from an intolerable gap between what it is and what it should be from the view of some individuals. This theoretical conflictual situation is then combated in practice by leaders and partisans of a social movement who pledge to fix what is perceived as a problem, a social disorder or a not inevitable injustice.

Extraits

[...] This perspective is probably more pragmatic, but also probably normative by looking at and listing successful strategies to change or at least influence the current order of things. Thus, what strategies do social movements use to sensitize, convince and rally supporters to their cause? As an answer, these successful techniques are based both on emotion and reason in a balanced, so by appealing to feeling thought a cause that makes sense. From a practical point of view, his assessment will be illustrated by many concrete examples of social movements occurring in different countries. Touching the hearts: how to sensitize public opinion? [...]

[...] Indeed, the elitist character of this mode of action based on particular skills could just attract some scholars or some people well-informed, but may not the large public and thus a large range of supporters. Conclusion: rallying supporters: both result of a successful campaign and prerequisite to fix the problem After assessing both of the unavoidable sensitization and awareness-raising means of social movement to rally supporters to their cause, it is possible to go further towards the possible resolution of the issue raised. A successful campaign result in mobilizing supporters on-the-spot or at a distance. [...]

[...] This first part will be focused on the emotional proselytism of social movements, analyzing the means and the results of the attempt to sensitize the public opinion to rally supporters to their cause. In fact, this use of pathos is essential to please potential supporters by making them feel connected to the cause as well as the movement. Means of arousing emotions: recourse to pathos Social movement efforts to persuade people by appealing to their feelings mainly occurs in the field of pathos. [...]

[...] However, they met more public indifference than a real adhesion to their cause. It was probably symbolic but possibly shocking and not enough straightforward. Finally, to draw public attention to through emotions is not enough to develop a mobilization. Possible idealist bias could lead to idealized representations and inconsistent fragile or shocking argument when the social movement occurs in the field of pathos. Even worse, in the case of body or liberty through disobedience which could be endangered, collective actions could be physically and psychologically costly, jeopardizing health or risking justice exposure, with sometimes no results. [...]

[...] The former registers anonymous support to legitimize the cause defended. For example, in 1995, Greenpeace international petition to pressure the french government against its nuclear test were signed by more than 7 million of people, which has given to the antinuclear cause a legitimacy and also a powerful mean to raise awareness of public opinion. The latter petition, the qualitative one, registered all skilled people who support the cause and appears as recognized social legitimation. It occurs mostly in technical fields like health, justice, or education, like the Manifesto of the 343 which was a declaration signed by 343 women admitting to having had an abortion, thereby exposing themselves to criminal prosecution in 1971. [...]