Solutions to Social Problems

In Solutions to Social Problems From the Bottom Up: Successful Social Movements by D. Stanley Eitzen and Kenneth Stewart, a light is shone on how incredibly powerful social movements may be. The United States has been no stranger to social movements and the influential leaders that have made them known. The novel describes in detail the various accounts that African Americans, women and other minorities fought for equal rights in the United States and even around the world. The first three chapters of the novel reveal a few articles that expand on a few of the major social movements in the United States and exactly how they have affected modern day. Direct action today may not always be as obvious as the actions taken during the early social movements but they are constantly present in our everyday life whether it is realized or not. It is clear through the reading that the actions during these movements were life altering for not only that time but for the future. The direct actions of our generation will shape those generations ahead of us. In the novel the first three chapters introduce some of the most powerful and successful movements in the United States. The first chapter breaks down what a social movement is and how an issue can become a social movement. It also reveals why social movements are actually necessary for society. The chapter explains how people of the minority, whether it is race or religion or sexuality, have constantly fought with the oppressors of society for equal rights. It defines a social movement as the collective attempt to promote, resist or reverse change. It goes on to explain that the key to any successful social movement is ideology. The ideology provides the goals and rationale for the movement, brings together minorities for a common cause and brings the action to attention for all individuals who believe in the fight. The chapter also breaks down the three types of social movements. There are resistance movements which

Cited: Direct Action. N.p., 20 Apr. 2010. Web. 11 Apr. 2010. . Eitzen, D, Stanley, and Kenneth Stewart. Solutions to Social Problems from the Bottom up: Successful Social Movements. Boston: Pearson, 2007. Print. Social Movement. N.p., 2 Apr. 2008. Web. 13 Apr. 2010. .