Social Movement

Introduction
A social movement is a loosely organized group of people who work together to achieve a certain goal. This goal is usually related to social or political change. People may start a social movement to support a change, stop a change, or reverse a change. These movements can involve individuals, organizations, or both.

Definition of Social Movement
A social movement is a group effort that continues over time to bring change or stop change in society. It is a planned action by many people to change the existing system or keep it the same. These efforts are usually organized and aim to change or protect the way society works.

Features of Social Movements
Social movements have the following features:

• They are started by a group of people.

• Their goal is to bring change or stop change in society.

• They can be organized or unorganized.

• They may be peaceful or violent.

• Their time period is not fixed; they can last a short time or continue for many years.

Causes of Social Movements
Social movements usually begin when people are unhappy with some parts of society. This unhappiness or social unrest can be caused by:

• Cultural changes

• Disorganization in society

• Social injustice or unfair treatment

Types of Social Movements
There are several types of social movements, based on their purpose and goals:

• Reform Movements

• Revolutionary Movements

• Resistance Movements

• Utopian Movements

• Expressive Movements

• Migratory Movements

Reform Movements
Reform movements aim to improve certain parts of society without changing the whole system. These movements are common in democratic societies, where people have the freedom to suggest changes.
Examples: Abolishing untouchability, ending the dowry system, saving wildlife, and controlling population growth.

Revolutionary Movements
Revolutionary movements want to completely change or remove the current system. These movements happen when people are very unhappy with the present system and think it cannot be fixed with small changes.
Examples: Communist movements in Soviet Russia and China.

Resistance Movements
Resistance movements try to stop changes that are already happening in society. These movements are started by people who think that the changes are happening too fast or are not good.
Example: The D.M.K. movement in India against making Hindi the national language.

Utopian Movements
Utopian movements try to create a perfect society, which only exists in people’s imagination. These movements are based on the belief that humans are naturally good and can live in peace and cooperation.
Example: The Sarvodaya movement in India.

Expressive Movements
Expressive movements happen when people feel helpless to change their situation. Instead of trying to change the system, they change how they think or feel to deal with their problems. They focus on hopes for a better future.
Example: The Hippie movement.

Migratory Movements
Migratory movements happen when a large number of people move from one place to another. But it becomes a social movement only when people move together for a common reason, with shared hopes and goals.
Examples: The Zionist movement (Jews moving to Israel), and the movement of people from East Germany to West Germany.

Conclusion
In conclusion, social movements are group efforts where people join together to support or resist social change. These movements show what people want from their society and how they work together to bring or stop change.