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Social Change and Social Class

Social Change and Social Class. Warm-up discussion What comes to mind when you hear the term “labor union”? Why?. Social Change and Social Class Review - Power and Social Class. Social Classes - Relational View Capitalist, middle, working class Focus on Power and Interests

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Social Change and Social Class

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  1. Social Change and Social Class • Warm-up discussion • What comes to mind when you hear the term “labor union”? • Why?

  2. Social Change and Social Class Review - Power and Social Class • Social Classes - Relational View • Capitalist, middle, working class • Focus on Power and Interests • Different perspectives on class interests, power, and social policies • Conservative – harmony; balanced; minimal government role • Liberal – fundamental harmony, business and the wealthy tend to accumulate too much power; active government role • Socialist – fundamental conflict; capitalist class is the ruling class but workers have great potential power; socialism [social democracy]

  3. Key forms of working and middle class power – parties and unions • Political parties • United States vs. parliamentary systems • U.S. – 2 parties, both dominated by business / capitalist class • Parliamentary systems – typically multi-party, including labor or socialist parties • Dilemma of working-class party politics in the United States

  4. Key forms of working and middle class power – parties and unions II. Labor Unions in the United States • Early history • National Labor Relations Act 1935 • Decline of CIO, rise of AFL-CIO and postwar compact • End of postwar compact in the 1970s • Decline of labor unions • Attacked by business • Role of government • Self-imposed problems • Current attempts to revive • Key role of organizing

  5. Mary Harris “Mother” Jones, Victory at Arnot (123) • Background – “Mother Jones” • Conditions in the mines in the 1890s • Were you aware of this? • Are there similar conditions anywhere now? • United Mine Workers organizing efforts

  6. The strike at Arnot • Company tactics – evictions, ‘scabs,’ and exploiting ethnic divisions • Later strikes – violence (472) • Miners’ responses • What do you think of their tactics? • President Wilson • Importance of government role • Outcome

  7. Cesar Chavez, The Organizer’s Tale (124)[1966] • Background – Cesar Chavez • Organizing • And leadership development • Perspective of an organizer • The UFW – a critical view • Migrant farm workers today • FLOC – Farm Labor Organizing Committee

  8. CONCLUSIONS:Race/Ethnicity, Gender / Sexual Orientation, Social Class • IDENTITY • As source of individual grounding, enrichment, community • As source of marginalization, anxiety • POWER • Individual systems of inequality, exploitation • Reinforcing each other • Potential power to create or resist change

  9. SOCIAL CHANGE • Relates directly to systems of inequality • Can involve seeking greater equality • Egalitarian – typically address one system • Transformational – addresses all systems, and the larger culture • Operates at different levels • Individual • Small group • Institutional • Social

  10. KEYS TO PARTICIPATING IN SOCIAL CHANGE • MOTIVATION • WHAT’S YOUR “SELF-INTEREST” • NARROW, SHORT-TERM • VALUES-BASED, LONG-TERM • CONNECT LEARNING, ACTION, AND REFLECTION • ACT ON DIFFERENT LEVELS • STAY INFORMED, STAY CONNECTED

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