Social Movements

Paper Summary:

The paper explores what social movements are and describes some of America's most important movements. The paper summarizes and explains the roles and impacts of these social movements and the significance of protest as a key aspect. The paper discusses how social movements and protests impact American democracy to the extent that they succeed in their aims of changing existing laws and public policies. Finally, the paper relates that social movements have the best chance of succeeding because they practice participatory democracy in which everyone has a voice.

From the Paper:

"Still, some social movements succeed in their goals for social change (e.g., those like the Women's Suffrage Movement and the Civil Rights Movement, both of which made their marks on history and changed public policy). Other social movements fizzle out and eventually disappear, having created no change. Roles and impacts of social movements and the significance of protest (e.g., marches, demonstrations, rallies, letter-writing campaigns, and other forms of public protest) as a key aspect of social movements, on American democracy, therefore depend upon the individual social movements themselves; their leadership and organization; and their success (or the lack thereof)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "History of Women's Suffrage in the United States." Wikipedia, April 1, 2006.Retrieved April 8, 2006, from: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of _women%27s_suffrage_in_the_United_States.html>.
• "Participatory Democracy." Wikipedia. April 7, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006, from: < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Participatory_democracy.html>.
• Polletta, Francesca. Freedom Is an Endless Meeting: Democracy in American
• Social Movements. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press. May 1, 2004. 1 "Social Movements." Wikipedia. March 14, 2006. Retrieved April 8, 2006, from: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_movement.html>.
• Tarrow, Sidney. Power in Movement: Collective Action, Social Movements and Politics, Cambridge University Press, 1994. 4.

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