Human Rights in Latin America GS 160 Group Activity

Based on biographical availability, which person would be most likely to participate in a social movement?

• A single mom with two kids who really resonates with a feminist movement her friend participates in

• A young, unemployed student who brought her car to college and heard about a protest to raise minimum wage going on nearby

• A 30-year old investment banker living in up-state New York who is frustrated by inflation

• An 80 year old grandpa who likes to read and reply to right-wing extremist posts on Twitter

How are risk and cost related?

• Risk and cost mean the same thing

• 1. Risk is uncertainty about the potential cost. 

• A low-cost action never has a high risk

• Risk and cost are the only factors affecting whether someone takes part in collective action

List 3 factors that affect recruitment and participation in a social movement (there are many answers)

Why does Mara Loveman's paper on Human Rights in Latin America stand out from other social movement literature theorizing about why people mobilize?

• This article focuses on micro, meso, macro, and "supra" variables emphasizing human agency to create a social movement theory

• No scholar has written about social mobilization in Chile before

• Loveman focuses on low-risk activism, others research high-risk forms of mobilization

• Loveman focuses on high-risk activism, others research low-risk forms of mobilization

1. Why is the rational choice framework unhelpful in explaining participation in high risk collective action?

• Any actor in a high-risk social movement is not a rational actor

• Rational choice models work best when the costs and benefits are clear and predictable

• When the risk gets too high, no one participates in collective action

• The rational choice framework has limitations and struggles to explain non-material costs and risks such as the cost of fear

What were the three most important factors for the success of Chile's social movement despite being in a political opportunity structure that was not conducive to sustained collective action

• Militarization of the movement, writing out their grievances, coercing civilians to join the movement

• Led by youth, the use of protest music, funding from the Catholic Church

• Support from political elites, massive participation, international visibility

• Foreign funds, the Catholic Church, International Visibility

Based on our presentation, the readings, and class lectures, think like a sociologist and draw your own diagram to illustrate what you believe is necessary for someone to be motivated to join a high-risk social movement