key term - Social movements

Definition

Social movements are organized efforts by a large group of people to achieve a specific goal, often aimed at promoting or resisting changes in society. These movements can be local, national, or global and involve collective actions outside of established institutions.

Related terms

Collective behavior: Spontaneous and relatively unstructured behavior by large numbers of individuals acting with or being influenced by a common sentiment.

Grassroots movement: A type of social movement that begins from the bottom up, originating among the people at a local level before spreading wider.

Civil disobedience: The active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, or commands of a government or occupying power without resorting to physical violence.