Persuasion and Social Movements

by Stewart, Charles J.; Smith, Craig Allen; Denton, Robert E.

• ISBN13: 9781577661450
• ISBN10: 1577661451
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2001-01-01
• Publisher: Waveland Pr Inc

Table of Contents

Preface	xiii
The Social Movement as a Unique Collective Phenomenon	1	(26)
An Organized Collectivity	2	(3)
Degrees of Organization	3	(1)
Social Movement Campaigns	4	(1)
Social Movement Organizations	5	(1)
An Uninstitutionalized Collectivity	5	(3)
Social Movements as Out-Groups	6	(1)
Institutions as In-Groups	7	(1)
A Large Collectivity	8	(4)
Size	9	(1)
Time	10	(1)
Events	11	(1)
Promotes or Opposes Change in Societal Norms and Values	12	(3)
Basic Types of Social Movements	12	(1)
Reform and Revolutionary Movements	13	(1)
Moderate and Radical Movements	13	(1)
deologies and Belief-Systems	14	(1)
Encounters Opposition in a Moral Struggle	15	(3)
Claim to Legitimacy	15	(1)
Disaffection and Confrontation	16	(2)
Persuasion Is Pervasive	18	(4)
Coercion and Bargaining	18	(2)
Persuasion	20	(2)
Conclusions	22	(1)
Endnotes	23	(4)
Social Movements as Interpretive Systems	27	(24)
Systems Theory and Communication	28	(4)
Nonsummativity	28	(1)
Function-Structure-Evolution	29	(1)
Hierarchical Organization	30	(1)
The Degree of Openness	31	(1)
Mechanical vs. Social Systems	32	(6)
Conceptions of Human Influence	34	(1)
Conception of Human Conflict	35	(2)
Conception of Human Relationships	37	(1)
The Interpretive Systems Approach to Political Communication	38	(3)
Studying Social Movements as Interpretive Systems: ``The Question''	41	(7)
Which Individuals?	41	(1)
Conceiving Themselves to Be What ``People?''	42	(1)
In What Environment?	43	(1)
Use What Relational Patterns?	44	(2)
And What Adaptive Strategies?	46	(1)
With What Evolutionary Results?	47	(1)
Conclusions	48	(1)
Endnotes	49	(2)
The Persuasive Functions of Social Movements	51	(32)
Transforming Perceptions of Reality	52	(7)
The Past	52	(2)
The Present	54	(2)
The Future	56	(3)
Altering Self-Perceptions of Protestors	59	(3)
The Ego Function in Self-Directed Social Movements	59	(1)
The Ego Function in Other-Directed Social Movements	60	(2)
Legitimizing the Social Movement	62	(6)
Conferring and Maintaining Legitimacy	62	(2)
Legitimacy through Coactive Strategies	64	(2)
Legitimacy through Confrontational Strategies	66	(2)
Prescribing Courses of Action	68	(5)
The What	68	(2)
The Who	70	(1)
The How	71	(2)
Mobilizing for Action	73	(3)
Organizing and Uniting the Discontented	73	(1)
Pressuring the Opposition	74	(1)
Gaining Sympathy and Support of Legitimizers	75	(1)
Sustaining the Social Movement	76	(2)
Justifying Setbacks and Delays	76	(1)
Maintaining Viability of the Movement	77	(1)
Maintaining Visibility of the Movement	77	(1)
Conclusions	78	(1)
Endnotes	79	(4)
Personal Needs and Social Movements: John Birchers and Gray Panthers	83	(20)
Authoritarian and Democratic Personalities	83	(4)
Maslow's Authoritarian Character Structure	84	(2)
Maslow's Democratic Character Structure	86	(1)
Two Social Movement Organizations	87	(2)
The John Birch Society	87	(1)
The Gray Panthers	88	(1)
The Authoritarian Character of John Birch Society Persuasion	89	(6)
The Birch World as Jungle	89	(1)
The Birch Tendency toward Autocracy	90	(2)
Birchist Sadomasochism	92	(3)
The Democratic Character of Gray Panther Persuasion	95	(3)
The Gray Panthers' World as Rational but Misguided	95	(1)
The Gray Panthers' Tendency toward Egalitarianism	96	(1)
The Gray Panthers' Desire to Empower	97	(1)
Conclusions	98	(2)
Endnotes	100	(3)
Leadership in Social Movements	103	(26)
Public Perceptions of Social Movement Leaders	104	(3)
The Nature of Leadership in Social Movements	107	(5)
Leaders as Organizers	107	(2)
Leaders as Decision Makers	109	(2)
Leaders as Symbols	111	(1)
How Leadership Is Attained in Social Movements	112	(5)
Charisma	112	(2)
Prophecy	114	(1)
Pragmatism	115	(2)
How Leadership Is Maintained in Social Movements	117	(7)
A Mix of Leadership Attributes	117	(2)
Handling Diverse, Conflicting Roles	119	(1)
Changing as the Movement Changes	120	(1)
Adapting to Events	121	(1)
Leading by Not Getting Too Far Ahead or Behind	122	(2)
Conclusions	124	(1)
Endnotes	125	(4)
The Life Cycle of Social Movements	129	(22)
Genesis	130	(4)
Social Unrest	134	(4)
Enthusiastic Mobilization	138	(4)
Maintenance	142	(3)
Termination	145	(2)
Conclusions	147	(1)
Endnotes	148	(3)
Identification and Polarizatin in Social Movements	151	(20)
Symbolic Interaction	151	(1)
A Rhetoric of Identification	152	(9)
Common Ground	153	(1)
The Implied ``We''	154	(1)
Groups and Group Actions	155	(1)
Appearance	156	(1)
Language	156	(1)
Content Adaptation	157	(1)
Values, Beliefs, and Attitudes	158	(1)
Visual Symbols	159	(1)
Naming Names	159	(2)
A Rhetoric of Polarization	161	(6)
Identifying Devils	162	(1)
Identifying Conspiracies	163	(1)
Obscenity	164	(1)
Ridicule	165	(1)
Vilification	166	(1)
Conclusions	167	(1)
Endnotes	168	(3)
Slogans, Obscenity, and Ridicule in Social Movements	171	(28)
Social Symbols	171	(3)
Slogans	174	(8)
Characteristics and Types	175	(1)
Transforming Perceptions of Reality	176	(1)
Altering Self-Perceptions of Protestors	177	(1)
Legitimizing the Social Movement	178	(1)
Prescribing Courses of Action	179	(1)
Mobilizing for Action	180	(2)
Obscenity	182	(8)
Rhetorical Characteristics of Obscenity	182	(2)
Transforming Perceptions of Reality	184	(1)
Altering Self-Perceptions of Protestors	184	(1)
Legitimizing the Social Movement	185	(1)
Expressing Contempt	186	(1)
Resorting to Diatribe	187	(1)
Adverse Effects of Obscenity on Social Protest	188	(2)
Ridicule	190	(5)
Levels of Ridicule	190	(4)
The Functions of Ridicule	194	(1)
Conclusions	195	(1)
Endnotes	196	(3)
Music in Social Movements	199	(26)
Presenting Past, Present, and Future in Song	201	(3)
Song and Self-Image	204	(3)
Achieving Legitimacy through Song	207	(5)
What, Who, and How in Song	212	(3)
Requesting Action through Song	215	(4)
Appeals beyond the Movement	217	(1)
Victory Is Near	218	(1)
Commitment to the Movement	219	(2)
Ultimate Victory	219	(1)
The Movement's Heritage	220	(1)
Conclusions	221	(1)
Endnotes	222	(3)
Political Argument in Social Movements	225	(24)
The Nature of Argument	225	(2)
Rossiter's Political Spectrum	227	(1)
The Types of Political Argument	228	(17)
Insurgent Argument	230	(3)
Innovative Argument	233	(2)
Progressive Argument	235	(2)
Retentive Argument	237	(2)
Reversive Argument	239	(2)
Restorative Argument	241	(1)
Revolutionary Argument	242	(3)
Conclusions	245	(1)
Endnotes	245	(4)
Argument from Narrative Vision in Social Movements	249	(24)
Narrative and Rhetorical Vision	249	(3)
Patriot Movement or Domestic Terrorism?	252	(9)
The Militia Movement as Historically Legitimate	252	(2)
The Inalienable Right to Bear Arms	254	(3)
Militia Accounts of Violence: The Oklahoma City Bombing	257	(2)
Weaving the Story	259	(2)
The Panama Canal Controversy	261	(6)
The Past: America's Claim to the Canal	264	(2)
The Present: The Western Hemisphere Today	266	(1)
The Future: The Kind of Power We Wish to Be	266	(1)
Outgrowth of the Narrative	267	(2)
Conclusions	269	(1)
Endnotes	270	(3)
Argument from Transcendence in Social Movements	273	(26)
Argument from Transcendence	274	(3)
Argument from Quantity	274	(1)
Argument from Quality	275	(1)
Argument from Value	275	(1)
Argument from Hierarchy	276	(1)
The Abortion Conflict as a Case Study	277	(2)
The Clash over Personhood	279	(2)
Pro-Choice	279	(1)
Pro-Life	280	(1)
The Clash over Rights	281	(1)
Pro-Choice	281	(1)
Pro-Life	281	(1)
The Clash over Realities	282	(4)
Pro-Choice	283	(1)
Pro-Life	284	(2)
The Clash over Competing Social Movements	286	(6)
Pro-Choice	286	(2)
Pro-Life	288	(4)
Conclusions	292	(2)
Endnotes	294	(5)
Argument from Conspiracy in Social Movements	299	(20)
Sowing Distrust	301	(5)
Capitalizing on Distrust	301	(2)
Creating Distrust	303	(2)
The Principle of Reversal	305	(1)
Challenging Plausibility	306	(2)
Implausible Labels	306	(1)
Failure to Consider Alternative Explanations and Evidence	307	(1)
Simplicity of Explanations	307	(1)
Selling the Conspiracy	308	(5)
A Coherent Pattern	308	(1)
Overwhelming Proof	309	(1)
Motivation	310	(1)
Evilness	311	(2)
Conclusions	313	(2)
Endnotes	315	(4)
Resisting Social Movements	319	(22)
Institutions and Social Order	319	(2)
Democracy and Resistance to Social Movements	321	(4)
The Strategy of Evasion	325	(1)
The Strategy of Counterpersuasion	326	(3)
The Strategy of Coercive Persuasion	329	(3)
The Strategy of Coercion	332	(2)
The Strategy of Adjustment	334	(2)
The Strategy of Capitulation	336	(1)
Conclusions	337	(1)
Endnotes	338	(3)
Selected Bibliography	341	(28)
Articles	341	(19)
Book Chapters	360	(1)
Books	360	(9)
Index	369