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SOCIAL MOVEMENT

A group of people organized, outside of institutions established for this purpose, so as to bring about political and social change which will satisfy their shared interest or goal. Political parties therefore would not be social movements although the New Democratic Party often describes itself as part of a social movement. It is more correct to talk about the environmental movement, the gay rights movement, the women's movement, the labour movement, victim's rights movements, prisoner's rights movements, movements for drug decriminalization. Sociologists are interested in studying the dynamics of such movements and the conditions or forces which make some successful and others less successful.

Last updated 2002--0-9-

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© Robert Drislane, Ph.D. and Gary Parkinson, Ph.D.
The online version of this dictionary is a product of
Athabasca University and
ICAAP

*This social science dictionary has 1000
entries covering the disciplines of sociology, criminology, political
science and women's study with a commitment to Canadian examples and
events and names