Abstract This paper questions whether the anti-war sentiment in the US shortened the Vietnam War. The author contends that protesters succeeded in creating a certain consciousness of war activities within the American public. It is argued that the public had only begun to question the war once it was apparent that it had continued for many years, and that there was some feeling that once committed, America could not withdraw without achieving victory. By analyzing the government's reaction to several anti-war incidences in US, the paper argues the government did not have a deep understanding of the anti-war sentiment. Therefore, the anti-warmovement could not have impacted the war to such an extent as to shorten it.
From the Paper "Vietnam was a situation that seemed to develop slowly in the consciousness of the American public so that much of the country seemed to discover rather suddenly that the nation was enmeshed in a growing war to which there seemed no end. In truth, America had been involved in Vietnam for many years before the issue became the catalyst for social protest and political reprisals in the U.S., and for much of that time the public ignored what was taking place. American involvement actually started in 1954, and at that time it was the French who had been caught in the Vietnamese quagmire (Chafe 259). Full American involvement was contemplated prior to 1954 and rejected, in part because Eisenhower did not believe that a military victory was possible because of the political situation in the region, since the people supported the Viet Minh and identified Ho Chi Minh as the leader of their independence movement (Scheer 274-275)."
A discussion on the way that the punk subculture re-emerged in recent years in response to the rise of the far right in Switzerland and as part of the international anti-fascist and anti-globalization movements.
Abstract The paper focuses on the evolution of punk and its mutation into the more politically charged anarcho-punk movement and explores the violent side of the extreme left - both as an international force and in particular in Switzerland. The paper then discusses the Bern-based Antifa Switzerland group and explores the motivations of the Black Bloc anarchists. The paper highlights the use of violence in the anti-fascist movement and the connection between today's violent anarcho-punks with the ideals of the original punk movement. Several photographs are included with the paper.
Outline:
Introduction
Punk's First Wave
Punk Arrives in Switzerland
Switzerland, Anarcho-Punk, and Post-war Politics in the 21st Century
Conclusion
From the Paper "The media, however, interpreted the punks' image, music, and reckless behavior as a real threat to the status quo. This culminated in December of 1976 when the Sex Pistols and members of the Bromley Contingent appeared on the Bill Grundy television show in England. At the time of this momentous event, punk was still in its early stages. The public-at-large had little way of knowing about punk at the time. What they saw was a group of extravagantly dressed young people, visibly intoxicated, who took relish in using offensive words and insulting the host of the program in a manner that went way beyond the accepted morals of the time. The Bill Grundy episode would spiral the fledgling youth subculture into the wider cultural spotlight. At that point, punk was no longer a tiny subculture, but a mass media spectacle that would shock the conservative British public and inspire similar-minded youth all over the world."
Abstract The following assignment is for a third year sociology course. The topic discussed is collective social behaviour. The collective social behavior examined in this assignment is anti-war demonstrations. The writer uses social contagion theory and emergent norm theory in order to examine the nature of anti-war demonstrations.
From the Paper "Collective behavior is a very broad area of study. For example, in Collective Behavior Erich Goode states, 'Rumors and legends, fads, and collective protest- these and other social phenomena make up the subject matter of the field of collective Behavior'. Collective behavior is the relatively spontaneous, unstructured, extra institutional behavior of a fairly large number of individuals. The fact that collective behavior is such a diverse area of study means that many activities can be used to examine it. For this paper, demonstrations against the war in Iraq or anti-war demonstrations as they are commonly called will be used to examine many of the theories about collective behavior."
Abstract This paper describes the beginnings, the leaders and the motivations behind the anti-Vietnam Warmovement of the 1960s. The paper also takes a look at how much the anti-warmovement actually affected U.S. action in the Vietnam War and what lessons were learned from the protest.
From the Paper "The beginning of the Anti-War Movement can be found in the Free Speech Movement that had already taken hold at universities across the nation. At Berkeley, Mario Savio, having taught lessons on freedom in McComb, Mississippi in what was to become known as Freedom Summer, began the movement. Involved in the Civil Rights Movement, Savio saw a correlation of the oppression of blacks in the South, the war in Vietnam, and free dissemination of information on university campuses. Savio believed that students were entitled, under the First Amendment, to practice Free Speech on their campuses."
Tags: john, f., kennedy, youth, country, america, involved, students, adults, change, united, states
Abstract This paper shows how the powers of social movements are derived primarily from injustice in society. The paper looks at the civil rights, feminist and anti-warmovements in the nineteen-sixties that demonstrated how once a social movement gains momentum it can produce wider public dissatisfaction with the status quo and compel elected officials to take action against injustice. The paper points out, however, that the power to affect social change in society tends to be fluid, for once a social movement achieves a certain degree of social change, it meets increasing resistance, which reduces its power.
From the Paper "The Civil Rights Movement of the nineteen-sixties began because of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery, Alabama bus boycott in 1955, which inspired African-Americans to increase their efforts to win equality. Parks (1999) notes that a few years later, when Attorney General Robert Kennedy sent the FBI into the South in 1962 to enforce laws, prevent violence, and protect civil rights activists, it sent a strong message that the time for racial justice had arrived and that racial segregation must be ended."
Abstract The paper explains that counterculture movements of the sixties radically questioned the pervading views pertaining to political, cultural and social conventions of American society. The paper focuses particularly on the anti-warmovements, the human rights and liberties movements and the general youth cultural or 'hippie' movement that all rejected the conventional values of society.
From the Paper "The sixties were a time of change, and more importantly of changing perceptions within American and Western culture about the meaning of social as well as personal life. The common thread that runs through all the aspects, events and movements in this turbulent period is that of the interrogation and questioning of the status quo. If there is one common element that joins the various strands, ideas and movements of this period it is a feeling of dissatisfaction with the way that society was run. This led to the often outspoken and even violent expression of these feelings that characterized many of the events that we associate with society during this time."
Abstract This paper discusses how in terms of ideologies, actions, and goals that exist, or should exist in order for the anti-globalization movement to develop into a successful global social movement, there is general agreement that there must be a greater emphasis on social and political issues such as gender equality, and economic issues such as product music and entertainment product copyright protection. The paper further discusses that these are only two of a multitude of important issues that need to be addressed, but they reflect the anti-globalization movement's fundamental goal of protecting the social, political, and economic rights of individuals, groups, and societies as globalization expands. For example, globalization has presented many challenges and opportunities for the transnational women's movement.
Abstract This paper begins with an analysis of an on-line article that refers to the American "attack" on terrorism. The article assumes an anti-war stance and this essay examines the social movements of anti-war sentiments in relation to this particular article, as well as in relation to other anti-warmovements in America. It is a sociological analysis of social collectives, and describes both American and Canadian anti-warmovements, with direct reference to U.S. military and politics.
Abstract This paper examines the radical anti-Vietnam war, social justice movement, The Weather Underground. The movement is described in terms of its own history and the political climate of the times. The movement's ideology is described, as well as some of their activities. Finally, the paper concludes with the legacy of the movement and where its leaders are today.
From the Paper "Of all the groups that evolved from the SDS, the Weather Underground was the most notorious. This was due to the fact that even early in the history of the organization there were violent clashes with the police and authorities. An infamous example of the organizations penchant for violence protest was the "Four Days of rage". This refers to the violence in Chicago perpetrated by the Weathermen in 1969. Violence during this period included the destruction of property and buildings and attacks on the police. During these four days a total of seventy-three policemen were injured and about three hundred members of the organization arrested - some of them on charges of attempted murder. (George & Wilcox, 1996, p. 135)"
Abstract The paper provides a brief overview of the movement against the Iraq War as it has manifested itself in the U.S. since 2003. The paper looks at mainstream media coverage of public rallies, focusing on a report in the Los Angeles Times and a report from Reuters. The paper discusses the ANSWER media savvy organizing group that is rarely noted in mainstream media coverage of public rallies but which has a large role in sponsoring them. The paper thus shows how a mainstream news source omits small pieces of information that can have a significant effect on the interpretation of the news story.
From the Paper "The first protests against the Iraq War actually began just prior to the onset of the war itself, at a time when it was becoming clear that the military preparations and intensified propaganda leading up to the invasion had passed a point of no return. In March of 2003, mass protests in both the United States and Britain, denominated the "World Says No to War" protests, attracted approximately 500,000 marchers nationwide. Since then the movement has had its ups and downs, but generally been able to sponsor large turnouts near the anniversary dates of the invasion (March of each year.) Many have commentated that this level of organization and turnout is remarkable given the lack of a military draft, which in past times (notably the Vietnam war) has substantially enlivened anti-war movements (Garfinkle.)"
Tags: ANSWER, mainstream, alternative, resources, information
Abstract This paper examines the often violent and coercive tactics of anti-abortion movements, looks at some of the more famous anti-abortion leaders, explores the motivations of these leaders and the movements that follow them, and discusses the perception by many that the anti-abortion movement is just one part of a broader, more conservative, anti-feminist, political agenda.
From the Paper "Both the pro-life and anti-abortion movements are motivated by one concept: that human personhood begins at conception. To these groups an embryo and a fetus are all human persons who should be granted the same rights, privileges and protections as a child or adult (Violence & harassment at U.S. abortion clinics). Operation Rescue is an anti-abortion organization that states that it is dedicated to the protection of children in the womb and their mothers who are exploited by abortion. The group declares that "We work in every way we can to manifest the truth of God concerning abortion" (Operation Rescue Colorado). Unfortunately, "every way we can" includes violence, murder and the misuse of religion to inspire what any moral individual could only interpret as unholy acts."
This paper compares two anti-war authors: German playwright Bertolt Brecht in "Mother Courage and Her Children" and English poet Wilfred Owen's "Anthem for Doomed Youth".
Abstract This paper explains that German playwright Bertolt Brecht and English poet Wilfred Owen were both deeply personally impacted by war and both felt the need to express their anti-war sentiments and beliefs in their work. The author points out that, in Owen's anti-war poetry, war has destroyed an age of innocence; he express frustration about (1) innocent soldiers hardened by war and eventually killed in many cases, (2) the attitudes of civilians back home and (3) the way many simply ignored the tragic nightmare of the war. The paper relates that Brecht's perspective on war is similar to Owen's in that he is very anti-war; however, his perspective differs because he does not view civilians as ignorant but rather as interested in prolonging the war for their profit.
From the Paper "Owen's poem appears to be inspired by the many deaths of soldiers he saw each day in the trenches of war. He starts the poem off, describing innocent young men being sent to war like cattle are sent to slaughter. He abandons his original views of war as heroic and glorious, and describes it as one large funeral where young soldiers are not given a proper goodbye. Instead of the typical church bells that are sounded when someone dies under ordinary circumstances, there are only the sounds of gunshots when a soldier dies, he writes."
Abstract This paper reviews sex education programs in the public schools. The author critiques the effort of the anti-contraception movement to suppress information about sexuality.
Abstract This paper will select five case that have to do with anti-war protest in the American Supreme Court. By undertanding the rulings of these cases, we can see limitations on First Amendment rights in these rulings.
Abstract The paper explains the media's direct or indirect role in spreading the message of revolutionaries. The paper discusses the Vietnam War era and focuses on the Weather Underground anti-war group that received indirect negative media coverage since they were seen as dangerous and irrational radicals. The paper shows how the Weather Underground's efforts to end the war tended to be counterproductive, because their radicalism discredited the entire anti-warmovement at a time when it needed to gain support from average Americans, not alienate them.
From the Paper "In order to recruit members and intensify pressure on the government, revolutionary movements need to spread their message of resistance to the public at large, either directly through the media, or indirectly, by taking action against the government so the media will be compelled to cover it in newspaper accounts or radio and television news broadcasts. During the Vietnam War era, the most prevalent approach adopted by anti-war organizations was indirect use of the media by staging huge demonstrations and rallies, which the media would be compelled to cover."
