Social movement

Definition

A social movement is an organized effort by a large group of people to enact, halt, or otherwise guide change in societal norms, values, laws, or policies. These movements often aim at addressing issues of public concern and can be focused on political, environmental, economic, or social issues.

Related terms

Collective behavior: The spontaneous and unstructured behavior of a group of people responding to similar stimuli or events.

Social change: The significant alteration of social structures and cultural patterns over time.

Grassroots movement: A type of social movement that begins from the bottom up within a community, relying heavily on community-based action