Theories
It is time to briefly discuss a few sociological theories that support the study of social movements. According to some theorists, movements are more supported when members feel they are worse off and a balance needs to be struck. One could apply this theory to the women’s movement, modern Civil Rights Movement and other minority movements. Members feel that they are being denied certain rights and use a movement to fight for those rights.
The Deprivation Theory claims that people feel relatively deprived in comparison to some other group or institution and use the social movement to equalize things.
Other theorists believe that movements start because something has put a strain on society and the movement seeks to relieve that strain. This could be applied to the gun rights movement. After the shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, CT, public outcry for gun control put a strain on gun owners. Their fear of gun control increased and put a strain on them. This led to a rise in their movement.
The Structural-Strain Theory claims that social problems/strains on the current social structure combined with discontent lead to movements.
