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Chapter 21: Social Movements and Collective Action
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Chapter twenty-one examines social movements and collective
action in recent American history. Sociologist Herbert Blumer
described four main kinds of crowds—casual, conventional,
expressive, and acting—that exhibit distinct characteristics.
The 1992 Los Angeles riots provide an example of crowd action
to which the five key concepts of sociology can be applied.
Social movements differ from collective action in that they
are longer-lived and generally more organized and deliberate
efforts to bring about or resist social change. Three movements
in twentieth-century America have had basic, long-term effects
on society—the civil rights movement, the women's movement,
and the environmental movement. These movements have resulted
in significant victories for their respective causes, and
continue to shape the political, cultural, and social agendas
of American society.
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