New Social Movements: Changing America One Step At A Time
...the United States are supposed to represent the voices in society that strive to better economic, social, and environmental conditions. We have elected representatives that are chosen to present the desires of individuals, groups, and organizations that fight for a just cause. These officials are not using their political power to the full extent to make a difference within society. Rather, they use their status to comply with the best interests of multi national business tycoons. Therefore, the people must fight back and make their voices heard in order to make the differences that are desperately desired. The "New Social Movements" (NSM) are the revival of historical movements, which have inspired many people today to step out and change societal dysfunctions. I would like to examine the factors that account for the rise of new social movements and look at the effect they have on contemporary society.
In order to fully comprehend the concept of New Social Movements I will begin by defining and examining the constructs. 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.
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. Russel Dalton and Manfred 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...
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