Countermovement
Encyclopedia
By definition, a countermovement in sociology
means a social movement
opposed to another social movement. Whenever one social movement starts up, another group establishes themselves to undermine the previous group. Many social movements start out as an affect of political activism
towards issues that a group disagrees with. “Researchers have used resource mobilization
to study all manner of social and political movements such as environmentalism
, father's rights groups, religious movements, and abortion rights” . The reason for the start of countermovement groups is that people are competing for resources for political influence. Countermovement groups are a part of American society that try to compete for government legislation
to support their own views.
The resource mobilization theory is an important issue in countermovements. “Research mobilization theory was a response to social psychological theories that focused on grievance
s and viewed movements as collective identities” . This theory suggests that social movements organize their resources to make changes in society that fits in their views. As a social movement starts growing, there are those who oppose their views and in time start countermovements. For example, pro-life
and pro-choice
movements are countermovements to each other. Other issues that have countermovement group have to deal with controversial issues as in global warming
, fathers’ rights, religion
, and war
. These movements and countermovements will never have a resolution so they try to pass their views into government legislation . Countermovements main goal is to oppose the other movement to get their views into the mainstream. Many of these movements try to recruit people to gain popularity and in time gain political support.
is changing. As Jacques states, “the reality of doubt in environmental problems is not due to science
, but has to deal with politics
--global politics to be specific” . Many who are “environmental skeptics” are saying that there are no environmental problems that will threaten humanity. Many of these skeptics are blaming environmentalist for stopping human progress to make standard of living rise. Environmentalists on the other hand are blaming “right-wing politics” for their skepticism
and are becoming an anti-environmental
countermovement. Jacques explains that, “The concentration of skeptical claims from the 1990s onwards indicates an intense burst of interest in the environmental skeptical program and is consistent with a conservative countermovement against global environmental concern” . Skeptics on global warming feel as if they are not heard fairly as the environmentalists are, which they describe themselves “underdogs who are ‘speaking truth to power,’ while ‘debunking junk science’ that has been constructed ignorantly or maliciously by environmentalists” , although many of the skeptics are those who depend on industries that are accuse of harming the environment. “Many of the skepticism of a changing environment are influence by politics and culture even if the facts are shown in plain sight” ). Until both sides of the environment countermovement use science instead of politics for their views, society can expect to see this argument going on for the long run.
s committed between spouses, approximately 1.7 million violent crimes between the years of 1998-2002 according to the Department of Justice
and mostly women, the battered women’s movement (BWM) has been campaigning for greater awareness of domestic violence
. Domestic violence is a serious problem in the United States
that the BWM has found public support to “create tougher penalties against offenders and public vigilance against potential batterers, including fathers from dissolving families” . As a result, there has been a countermovement of activists from the fathers’ rights movement (FRM) that argue that the battered women’s movements has created laws that targets men unfairly. “The number of members in the fathers’ rights movement has grown in numbers during the 1980s in Canada
, the United Kingdom
, Sweden
, Australia
, and the United States” . The fathers’ rights movement has even discussed that the legal system is making them hard for them to be “good fathers.” “The FRM is using the argument that being a biological father and a social is different because a biological father is simply one who makes a genetic contribution, while a social father is one who engages in all of their children’s activities” . The FRM is making sure that others realize that fathers’ being with their children is good for society.
should be legal or not, which is fought by pro-life and pro-choice groups. In the pro-life group, they believe that abortion shouldn’t be allowed for any reason. The pro-choice group believes that women should have the right to choose whether they should keep their child or have an abortion. Usually these groups can not find a resolution and their arguments do not change any of their views on abortion. “Although the issue of abortion is very controversial, most surveys indicate liberalization
of public attitudes towards pregnancy termination between 1965 and the years immediately following Roe v. Wade
Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion. Recent polls demonstrate that between 80% and 90% of Americans approve of abortion in the case of poor health, defective fetus, or rape
, and between 40% and 50% indicate approval for other reasons. Only 10% would like to prohibit abortion under all circumstances” . There is also information that people who are usually pro-choice or pro-life come from very different backgrounds and have different values. “Sociodemographic analyses indicate that individuals who disapprove of abortion are usually committed to organized religion, such as Roman Catholicism or fundamentalist Protestants, are usually very traditional/conservative with regard to women’s role in life, and are less educated than those who are pro-choice” . Both groups will create logical fallacies because both of these countermovements will not agree to each others’ issues. Both of these countermovements try to use emotional appeal by “abortion advocates tie their cause to the importance of ‘choice’, while pro-life activist point out the significance of protecting all forms of life” .
on others. No matter the movement that comes up now or in the future, there is another group who will disapprove and make a countermovement.
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
means a social movement
Social movement
Social movements are a type of group action. They are large informal groupings of individuals or organizations focused on specific political or social issues, in other words, on carrying out, resisting or undoing a social change....
opposed to another social movement. Whenever one social movement starts up, another group establishes themselves to undermine the previous group. Many social movements start out as an affect of political activism
Activism
Activism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
towards issues that a group disagrees with. “Researchers have used resource mobilization
Resource mobilization
Resource mobilization is a major sociological theory in the study of social movements which emerged in the 1970s. It stresses the ability of movement's members to 1) acquire resources and to 2) mobilize people towards accomplishing the movement's goals...
to study all manner of social and political movements such as environmentalism
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, father's rights groups, religious movements, and abortion rights” . The reason for the start of countermovement groups is that people are competing for resources for political influence. Countermovement groups are a part of American society that try to compete for government legislation
Legislation
Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...
to support their own views.
The resource mobilization theory is an important issue in countermovements. “Research mobilization theory was a response to social psychological theories that focused on grievance
Grievance
A grievance is a wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint.-History and politics:A grievance may arise from injustice or tyranny, and be cause for rebellion or revolution....
s and viewed movements as collective identities” . This theory suggests that social movements organize their resources to make changes in society that fits in their views. As a social movement starts growing, there are those who oppose their views and in time start countermovements. For example, pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
and pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
movements are countermovements to each other. Other issues that have countermovement group have to deal with controversial issues as in global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
, fathers’ rights, religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
, and war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
. These movements and countermovements will never have a resolution so they try to pass their views into government legislation . Countermovements main goal is to oppose the other movement to get their views into the mainstream. Many of these movements try to recruit people to gain popularity and in time gain political support.
Environment
An example of a countermovement has to deal with the environmental issues. Even with scientific facts and statistics that global warming exists, there are still groups that disagree that our environmentNatural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
is changing. As Jacques states, “the reality of doubt in environmental problems is not due to science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, but has to deal with politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
--global politics to be specific” . Many who are “environmental skeptics” are saying that there are no environmental problems that will threaten humanity. Many of these skeptics are blaming environmentalist for stopping human progress to make standard of living rise. Environmentalists on the other hand are blaming “right-wing politics” for their skepticism
Skepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
and are becoming an anti-environmental
Anti-environmentalism
Anti-environmentalism is a backlash against the environmental movement. Anti-environmentalists believe that the Earth is not as fragile as environmentalists maintain, citing its 5 billion year existence...
countermovement. Jacques explains that, “The concentration of skeptical claims from the 1990s onwards indicates an intense burst of interest in the environmental skeptical program and is consistent with a conservative countermovement against global environmental concern” . Skeptics on global warming feel as if they are not heard fairly as the environmentalists are, which they describe themselves “underdogs who are ‘speaking truth to power,’ while ‘debunking junk science’ that has been constructed ignorantly or maliciously by environmentalists” , although many of the skeptics are those who depend on industries that are accuse of harming the environment. “Many of the skepticism of a changing environment are influence by politics and culture even if the facts are shown in plain sight” ). Until both sides of the environment countermovement use science instead of politics for their views, society can expect to see this argument going on for the long run.
Fathers' Rights Movement
Subsequently, the Fathers’ Rights Groups have become a grand issue in American society. Due to the high numbers of violent crimeViolent crime
A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...
s committed between spouses, approximately 1.7 million violent crimes between the years of 1998-2002 according to the Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
and mostly women, the battered women’s movement (BWM) has been campaigning for greater awareness of domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
. Domestic violence is a serious problem in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that the BWM has found public support to “create tougher penalties against offenders and public vigilance against potential batterers, including fathers from dissolving families” . As a result, there has been a countermovement of activists from the fathers’ rights movement (FRM) that argue that the battered women’s movements has created laws that targets men unfairly. “The number of members in the fathers’ rights movement has grown in numbers during the 1980s in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and the United States” . The fathers’ rights movement has even discussed that the legal system is making them hard for them to be “good fathers.” “The FRM is using the argument that being a biological father and a social is different because a biological father is simply one who makes a genetic contribution, while a social father is one who engages in all of their children’s activities” . The FRM is making sure that others realize that fathers’ being with their children is good for society.
Abortion
The most controversial of countermovements are about whether abortionAbortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
should be legal or not, which is fought by pro-life and pro-choice groups. In the pro-life group, they believe that abortion shouldn’t be allowed for any reason. The pro-choice group believes that women should have the right to choose whether they should keep their child or have an abortion. Usually these groups can not find a resolution and their arguments do not change any of their views on abortion. “Although the issue of abortion is very controversial, most surveys indicate liberalization
Liberalization
In general, liberalization refers to a relaxation of previous government restrictions, usually in areas of social or economic policy. In some contexts this process or concept is often, but not always, referred to as deregulation...
of public attitudes towards pregnancy termination between 1965 and the years immediately following Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade
Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...
Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion. Recent polls demonstrate that between 80% and 90% of Americans approve of abortion in the case of poor health, defective fetus, or rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, and between 40% and 50% indicate approval for other reasons. Only 10% would like to prohibit abortion under all circumstances” . There is also information that people who are usually pro-choice or pro-life come from very different backgrounds and have different values. “Sociodemographic analyses indicate that individuals who disapprove of abortion are usually committed to organized religion, such as Roman Catholicism or fundamentalist Protestants, are usually very traditional/conservative with regard to women’s role in life, and are less educated than those who are pro-choice” . Both groups will create logical fallacies because both of these countermovements will not agree to each others’ issues. Both of these countermovements try to use emotional appeal by “abortion advocates tie their cause to the importance of ‘choice’, while pro-life activist point out the significance of protecting all forms of life” .
Conclusion
In summary, countermovements have been a part of every movement. Many of the countermovements have tried to stop the opposing movements to get rid of their movement and control the politics of the issue. All countermovements are competing for resources whether it is political influence, money, or enforcing their doctrineDoctrine
Doctrine is a codification of beliefs or a body of teachings or instructions, taught principles or positions, as the body of teachings in a branch of knowledge or belief system...
on others. No matter the movement that comes up now or in the future, there is another group who will disapprove and make a countermovement.