Four Roles of Activists Organizing Social MovementsPosted by Herman Johns on June 14th, 2021 Social activism is basically an act with an intention of bringing about social change in an arena that you choose. Activists may belong to any group or organization, whether they are part of a larger political party, organized labor, religious groups, or environmentalist groups. agency are also known as disruptors. Some common characteristics of social activism are participating in social action, political involvement, and self-defense tactics. Activists may have specific causes or ideologies in support of, or they may be general advocates of social justice. Political activism often includes protests, marches, demonstrations, sit-ins, and civil disobedience. Any form of physical expression of societal discontent can be considered social activism. In other cases, some forms of social activism require an overt form of political action. The purpose of most social activists is to bring about social change through an intentional act. An example of this would be the Campaign for Real Change in Tennessee, which requires politicians to take public policy stands on issues. Politicians who participate in the campaign must also state in public where they stand on various issues. Activism can also mean more subtle types of social change, including social awareness campaigns and public education initiatives. Some forms of activism are part of larger movements such as the global warming or environmental movement. Activists may also choose to work within a community or in support of a social change initiative. An organizer of an environmental campaign may choose to focus on local efforts to increase recycling or reduce landfill use, for example. Some activists might choose to work on national scale efforts such as the Endangered Species Act or the Clean Water Act. The political activism and the environmental activism differ in many ways. One of these differences is in terms of the ultimate goal. While both groups are focused on social justice, there are key differences between the two. Most social activists are interested in broad social action that seeks to affect political institutions or policy. A political activist, by contrast, is concerned primarily with legislation. A political activist is most concerned with legislation impacting on the environment. Activism can also include a variety of other forms of expression. There are many forms of expression that fall under the broader banner of social activism. For example, some social activists may choose to express their concern over specific social issues by participating in various public discussions, civic dialogues, or panels. Public speaking is another popular form of social activism. Another example of popular forms of social activism includes volunteerism. Many social activists choose to engage in volunteerism as a way to make social change happen. Activists may choose to serve in humanitarian organizations or in schools. Others choose to become involved with political issues or political parties. Still others may choose to become involved with various community-based projects or charitable activities. Any type of volunteerism can be seen as an effort to make social justice a reality. Activism can include a variety of different tactics. Different types of activism can differ in the types of tactics they use and the methods they use to bring about social change. Some types of activism can focus on public awareness, while other types of activism may prefer to focus on changing policy or law. One thing is for sure, all forms of social activism can bring about social change if the activists succeed in making their cause known to the general public. Hopefully, the succeeding years will see more advocates of social justice. There are four roles that organizers of social activism play. The first role is as organizers. People who are organizers understand that the most successful activists are not just good communicators but are also excellent problem solvers. Good organizers work effectively with people to create action plans and collect financial donations. Organizers also plan and conduct direct action protests, occupy buildings, and agitate for change. Another role of organizers of social activism is to explain the reasons behind the actions they intend to take. An example of this would be a protest against the execution of state laws. The protest would not only be in support of the rights of the individual to have a right to peacefully protest but the rights of other individuals to have equal rights. Sometimes, the reason for an action may not be entirely clear to the people at large. An organizer may need to explain why an activist is participating in the demonstration. The final and most important role of activists organizing social movements is to ensure that the action has an impact on change. This is often referred to as strategic social action. It involves making sure that more people are involved in the activism than beforehand. Different ways of organizing include publicity, funding, and influence. In an environment that is generally peaceful and free of censorship, it is very important for activists to ensure that they can make use of all the tools at their disposal to ensure that social change occurs.Like it? Share it! More by this author |