What kinds of people tend to become involved in movements, as contributors, elders, or sympathizers?
People who are involved in movements can be the core groups or simply the sympathizers who uphold the movement’s values and come up with policies upon which it is run.
Why these people get involved these movements
Other than helping shape the policy of the organization and determining the movement’s values, these people perform the movement’s day to day tasks.
Has a movement organization ever asked you to donate money or time to work for a cause? Did you? Why or why not? For those you found appealing, were there barriers to your participation?
On several occasions through the social networking sites, I have been called upon to either donate money or time to work for a cause. I had the urge to join but I was a bit hesitant because of the instability that the movement was evidently suffering from. The movement was intended to change the society where they were working rather than adopting to its needs. There was hostility in their working environment which occasioned organizational pressures. Another potential dilemma to me was the idea that the movement relied entirely on the contributors in order for it to run its activities. I had a strong feeling that for the movement to make a finite impact it had to look for alternate sources of income other than supporter’s human resources, time, contacts, and their access to different kinds of institutions (Shils, 1970).
Another thing that was glaring lacking in the movement was the vision of its ultimate goal. The movement lacked clearly defined short term objectives that are pivotal in realization of its goals. They never mobilized their resources to counter the existing societal barriers and resistance to their achievements. There were conflicting demands that threaten to bring it to its knees. Moreover, at the time I was invited to join the movement there were warring factions that nearly contributed to its destruction. Another hindrance to the movement’s realization of its goals that made ma hesitant to join it was the conflict in group’s maintenance needs and the goal achievement needs. There was lack of coordination in the manner in which decisions were made and tasks accomplished due to lack of lines of authority, and lack of specialization of functions.
There was lack of spontaneity and structure in that movement’s organization which was counterproductive to the achievement of the movement. This was occasioned by the incentives the movement was offering so that many people can join it. The movement used both purposive and solidarity incentives to lure many people to join. However, these did not pay off because its goals were not more immediate but were very remote. The movement also failed in its role to maintain its member’s morale and motivation hence the waning membership commitment. In its efforts to structure its member’s energy some members felt somehow stifled hence failure to realize the movement’s goals (Bernstein, 1955). This tendency scared me off from investing my time and resources in the movement’s causes. I am one person who likes keeping to himself so I felt that I would not be of much help to the movement whose core activities involved making telephone calls, soliciting for funds, and walking from door to door.
Some contemporary movements I have found repulsive
I have found social movement organizations so repulsive because of lack of structure in their organization, problem of recruitment, pervasive beliefs (Gurr, 1970). Some of these organizations tend to be so exclusive which can be counterproductive to realization of their goals.
Reference List
Bernstein, M. (1955). Regulating Business by Independent Commission. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Gurr, T. R. (1970). Why Men Rebel. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press.
Shils, E. (1970). Center and Periphery, Selected Essays. Chicago: Center for Social Organization Studies, Department of Sociology, University of Chicago.