Understanding Social Conflict: The Theory of Relative Deprivation and Mancur Olson’s Rational Approach to Social Movement

• Examining the Theories of Social Movements in India provides valuable insights into the roots of social conflict, Rooted in the perception of being worse off compared to others, this theory suggests social conflicts spring from feelings of resentment and rage, potentially leading to collective protests.
  • However, it’s noted that while feelings of deprivation may incite actions, they alone aren’t enough to birth social movements. 
• The Psychology of Protest: This theory emphasises the role of psychological factors such as resentment and rage in inciting social movements
• Forging Unity: The process requires a melding of shared ideologies, strategies, leadership, and organisation.
  • As there is no automatic causal relationship between relative deprivation and collective action.
• Mancur Olson’s Perspective
  • Olson, in his book “The Logic of Collective Action”, portrays social movement as a congregation of rational individuals seeking self-gain.
  • Individuals weigh the risks versus the gains before engaging in such movements, emphasising self-interest driven participation.

Navigating Success: The Dynamics of Resource Mobilization in Social Movements

• Key Factors Driving Social Movement Success: Challenging Olson, this theory along with other theories of social movement in India, underscores a movement’s success based on its ability to harness various resources like leadership, organizational capacity, and communication channels. The diverse theoretical frameworks, such as the Theory of Relative Deprivation and Rational Choice Theory, contribute to the understanding of the dynamics influencing movements in the Indian context.
• The Emergence of New Resources: Contrary to a fixed resource notion, it posits that movements can birth new resources (Such as new symbols and identities) amidst struggle, showcasing the ability to thrive even under resource scarcity. 

James Scott’s ‘Weapons of the Weak’: Transcending Deprivation to Action

• Path to Collective Action: The journey from social conflict to collective action demands a conscious identification as oppressed, coupled with robust organisation, leadership, and a well-defined ideology.
• James Scott’s “Weapons of the Weak” shifts the lens to subtle resistance, where the oppressed, aware of their exploitation, resort to minor acts of defiance like deliberate sluggishness as a form of protest.

Diverse Paths of Social Change: Understanding Reformist, Redemptive, and Revolutionary Movements

Social movements are diverse. One way of classifying the movement into three main types: redemptive, reformist, and revolutionary.

• Reformist Movements: It strives for gradual changes in social and political arrangements through incremental steps. 
  • Example: The 1960s movement for the reorganization of Indian states based on language and the Right to Information campaign.
• Redemptive Movements: It aims to alter the personal consciousness and actions of individual members.
  • Example: Narayana Guru led the Ezhava community in Kerala to change their social practices.
• Revolutionary Movements: They seek radical transformation of social relations, often targeting state power. 
  • Example: The Bolshevik revolution in Russia and the Naxalite movement in India, which aims to remove oppressive landlords and state officials.

Complex Dynamics: Revealing the Evolution and Typology of Social Movements

• Dynamic Typology: Social movements may exhibit a blend of redemptive, reformist, and revolutionary elements, with their orientation possibly shifting over time. 
  • Example: A movement could morph from having revolutionary objectives to adopting a reformist stance, 
    • Transitioning from mass mobilization to a more institutionalized approach, a process termed by social scientists as a move towards social movement organizations.
  • Social scientists who study the life cycles of social movements call this a move towards ‘social movement organisations’
• Evolutionary Phases: The perception and classification of social movements are subject to interpretation, varying across different sections of society. 
  • Example: Differing perceptions of the 1857 events in India termed as a mutiny or rebellion by British colonial rulers, while Indian nationalists regarded them as ‘the first war of independence. 
  • This discrepancy highlights how movements can bear different meanings for different people, reflecting the multifaceted interpretations and the inherent complexity of categorizing social movements.

Another Way of Classifying: old and new

Evolution of Social Movements in India: Tracing Economic Justice Advocacy and Political Alliances

• Economic Justice Advocacy: These movements are primarily aimed at attaining better wages, living conditions, social security, and other economic benefits, often spearheaded by working-class mobilisations.
• Political Alliances: They were closely aligned with political parties.
  • Example: The Indian National Congress leading the Indian National Movement and the Communist Party of China leading the Chinese Revolution.
• Power Restructuring: A reorganization of power relations was central to their agenda, often seeking a redistribution of power within society.

New Social Movements

These are the movements which focus on quality-of-life issues such as environmental cleanliness, gender equality etc.

New Social Movements in India: Shifting Focus, Challenging Democracy, and Exerting External Pressure

• Shift in Focus: With the fading of class-based political action, new social movements emerged, focusing on quality-of-life issues instead of changing the distribution of power in society.
• Challenging Democratic Norms: These movements developed as a result of discontent with traditional parliamentary democracy, which people felt had been taken over by elites and rendered electoral representation useless for the weak.
• Exerting External Pressure: Consequently, individuals sidelined by the formal political system gravitated towards movements or non-party political formations to exert pressure on the state externally.

Inclusive Horizons: Exploring the Global Scope and Identity Dynamics of New Social Movements in India

• Bridging Divides: New social movements transcended class boundaries, encapsulating identity politics, cultural concerns, and broader aspirations, often unifying participants across different social strata.
• Global Challenges, Global Movements: They reflect a global scope, resonating with the international nature of modern challenges like environmental risks, nuclear warfare fears, and globalised industrial and cultural shifts.
• The Inclusive Nature of New Social Movements: Unlike the old movements, they frequently encompass a diverse range of issues and participants, such as the women’s movement, which includes both urban feminists and poor peasant women.

Harmony in Change: Exploring the Confluence and Evolution of Old and New Social Movements

• Convergence for Change: Despite their differences, old and new social movements are converging within platforms like the World Social Forum.
  • Which collaboratively raises awareness on global issues such as the ramifications of globalisation.
• Exploring the Holistic Nature of New Social Movements: The holistic nature of new social movements, covering economic, cultural, and identity-driven concerns, reflects a complex interplay of factors contributing to modern social mobilisations.
• Transformative Evolution: This evolution signifies a shift towards more inclusive, globally resonant, and multifaceted movements, encapsulating a broad spectrum of societal concerns beyond mere economic inequalities.

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