SOCIAL CHANGE THROUGH SOCIAL MOVEMENTS

Abstract

Through studying the interworkings of social movements and how they alter the perceptions of the mainstream society this study looks to investigate how social movements create social change. This study explores four different social movements spanning multiple decades to see what elements amongst all of them are consistent and what elements differ. The four social movements chosen are: the Civil Rights Movement, the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgendered (LGBT) Movement, the Hip-Hop Movement and the Marijuana Legalization Movement. These four movements are used as a general basis to represent not only the similarities and differences of social movements, but also to represent the struggle that all social movements face to gain acceptance socially, culturally, and politically in the mainstream. The study also looks to examine how movements use tools, specifically media, to gain momentum and become more widespread throughout the populations. The media that I look at as wielded by social movements to display their message range from radio and newspapers to more modern devices of media such as television and internet. I look forward to advancing my research on social change and the catalysts that enable it and hope to compound on my research especially the power of media aspect and investigate psychological implications of media for social change.