New Social Movements, how they arose and affect us.

What factors account for the rise of new social movements and what effect have they had on contemporary society?

We are all familiar with the stories of suffragettes burning their bras, and environmental enthusiasts breaking into labs and liberating rats back to the wild. But what caused women to abruptly rip of their pinnies, tell dad dinner’s in the dog and start running around without appropriate underwear? What caused contented homemakers to leave the cosy warmth of their gas fires in favour of chaining themselves to trees?

And are such people an eccentric minority, or have they profoundly affected the way we live and think in the western world today?

To address these questions I will begin by defining New Social Movements (or NSMs). To follow I will break down a few movements in more detail, first discussing what they stand for, and then examining how they originated and matured.

In the latter section I will try to determine the scope and boundaries of their influence on contemporary society.

Quite strict guidelines have emerged as to what a New Social Movement is, and the kind of characteristics a political movement must have to classify as an NSM.

Dalton and Kuechler suggest:

‘A set of opinions and beliefs in a population that represents preferences for changing some elements of the social structure and/or the reward distribution of society’.

However, by this definition anyone with any concern for any aspect of pollution, nuclear power, the quality of life and many other issues is a member of the social movement.

Most writers agree there are more definitive ways of identifying an NSM.

‘They have ideological, organisational and tactical aspects.’

(Lovenduski and Norris, 1996)

The ideological side is the most ambitious and romantic:

‘ . . . social movements are challengers which seek to change the agenda of the system in which they work. They advance ideas which, to be realised, would require fundamental and widespread change in policies and in values – change which may be partially achieved through government action and legislation, but can not be wholly achieved in this way. They raise issues which question the dominant values that constitute the political culture of their society, and hence have a ‘political’ and ‘cultural’ dimension. They aim to change people attitudes on a personal as well as public level.’

The organisational side is ...

... middle of paper ...

...provided the opportunity for extreme growth and broader and deeper support networks – which led to international organisations and further networking. The shift in the government’s position regarding society and its decision in favour of their causes justified and stabilised NSMs.

There is now a sway towards socialism and libertarianism as in the new millennium we demand our individual rights and equality, but whether NSMs caused this or were a manifestation of it difficult to be sure about. Most likely they are mutually supporting pillars, but it is undeniable that NSMs have had a profound effect on our society and expectations. Our culture now accepts the diversity inherent in people and has a more citizen orientated set of interests with a dedication that gives our generation today the impression it has always been the way. A far cry from the slavery and the legal inferiority of women of not so long ago. NSMs have forced a new caution regarding technological and industrial progress, and they have modified the priorities, structure, and position of government. They have liberalised our attitudes towards the family, sex, drugs, film and literature, for better or for worse.