The Occupy Wall Street Movement

Words: 1287
Pages: 6

In this paper I will be writing about a significant social movement that raised awareness globally regarding the current economic and social inequality issues that so many people in America are facing. This movement was not just a few people getting together to protest and cause a scene over some trivial or meaningless issue. People in great numbers were fed up with what they considered to be the unfair, and unethical practices by the Government and financial industry that enabled the top one percent of the population to grow their wealth to staggering numbers. This movement could best be described as a pot of boiling water that had finally been on the stove for too long and was beginning to spill over. The Occupation Located in New York …show more content…
Political Process Theory is an approach of social movements that is heavily influenced by political sociology , and how they pertain to the Occupy Wall Street movement. Immediately there is a problem because the majority of the issues that were being argued were caused in some way either directly or indirectly by the government and politicians and the people’s disappointment with both. Successful social movements must also contain the following key factors and have these political opportunities to be effective. Organizational Strength, which the Occupy movement did indeed have. There was no shortage of motivated and willing people of all ages, races, and religions that were actively participating in the movement. The next factor needed is Cognitive Liberation and all that it is says is that the more people in your movement who believe their chances for success are good, in turn will have a positive effect on the overall outcome of the movement itself. In the occupy movement you also had this factor but, possibly too many different ideas and changes that were wanted within the many small groups in the much larger organization of demonstrators. With lack of structure and discipline in the movement there is really no surprise why the effort wasn’t more effective in its quest for change. Finally, you have Political Opportunities and this aspect is very important. The more political allies that a social movement has the greater the chances are for the success of the movement. In the case of Occupy Wall Street it is safe to say there were very few political “friends” of the movement. Most politicians were viewed by the protestors as part of the problem, and most of the politicians viewed the protestors as lazy and entitled people looking for a