Homework Question on Social Movements
- Discuss the main features of transnational social movements. Can a terrorist group such as Al Qaida be considered a form of a transnational social movement? Explain.
- Initial discussion postings should be a minimum of 250 words.
- Each student must also respond to a minimum of TWO fellow students’ postings; each response must be at least 100 words in length.
Homework Answer on Social Movements
Transnational social movements refer to a social movement whereby organizations, groups, and individuals cooperate in order to solve truly, broad, and global issues (Cohen, 1998). Transnational social movements have various characteristics for instance, it increasingly entails not only a new ethic of responsibility, but also a new practice of solidarity and self-determination between various individuals regardless of their nationality or culture.
Secondly, it involves actors with a common objective and solidarities related across nation boundaries that have the ability to bring about a sustained social mobilization in more than one country with an aim of influencing social change (Janoski, Alford, Hicks, & Schwartz, 2005).Another characteristic is that it aims at bringing social change. This may be based on a particular problem taking place in the society and the social movements will see to it that brings about social change in the society (Dobratz, Waldner, & Buzzell, 2012).
No, a terrorist group such as Al Qaida cannot be considered a form of a transnational social movement. This is because Al Qaeda is comprised of members belonging to the Muslim religion and they usually have a common goal of committing terror crimes globally. Its members emanate from different nations across the world.Members from different countries help the Al Qaeda group to achieve its objectives of committing terror.