1 Chapter 1: Defining Key Concepts: Power, Social Movements, Civil Resistance, and Social Work

Topics:

1. Social Work
2. Power
3. Social Movement
4. Civil Resistance
5. Characteristics of Social Movement
6. Civil Resistance and Social Movements
7. Civil Resistance and Social Movements: Common Tactics
   

Caption: Centennial College Social Service Students sharing their passion for social justice in Toronto. Photo credit: Dr. Mahbub Hasan, Author, 2024.

In chapter 1, we explored the concepts of power, civil resistance, and social movements, focusing on how they relate to people’s power in addressing social issues. Power was defined as the ability to influence or control others, while civil resistance was recognized as nonviolent actions to challenge oppressive systems. Social movements, as collective efforts for positive change, empower individuals to confront power structures. By organizing and mobilizing, people can demand accountability and actively shape their communities. This chapter introduces the foundation of civil resistance and social movements in the context of social work.

Social Work

Ives, Denov, and Sussman (2020) define social work, often referred to as “the helping profession,” as a field focused on working with individuals, families, groups, and communities to address challenges at individual, collective, and societal levels.

Social work is a dynamic field that started as a movement to reduce poverty and inequality. In Canada, social work began with a group of home visitors—volunteers driven to help vulnerable people, spread hope and advocate for social justice (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2024). Over the past century, social work has evolved into an academic discipline and regulated profession founded on theories of social work, social science and humanities. The field advances through academic research, evidence-based practice and Indigenous ways of knowing. Social workers are regulated health professionals who work with individuals, families, groups and communities to improve individual and collective well-being. They respond to social issues like racism, poverty and unemployment. As well, social workers advocate for social justice, human rights and fair access to health and social services (Canadian Association of Social Workers, 2024).

According to International Federation of Social Workers (2014), “Social work is a practice-based profession and an academic discipline that promotes social change and development, social cohesion, and the empowerment and liberation of people. Principles of social justice, human rights, collective responsibility and respect for diversities are central to social work.  Underpinned by theories of social work, social sciences, humanities and indigenous knowledges, social work engages people and structures to address life challenges and enhance wellbeing. The above definition may be amplified at national and/or regional levels.”

Common themes in social work highlighted by Ives, Denov, and Sussman (2020), as well as the Canadian Association of Social Workers (2024) and the International Federation of Social Workers (2014), include:

1. Social justice and advocacy for human rights, collective responsibility, and fairness.
2. Working with individuals, families, groups, and communities to address societal-level challenges.
3. The promotion of empowerment, liberation, and social change.
4. The integration of diverse knowledge, including Indigenous perspectives, to address life challenges.
5. Evidence-based practice and academic research to advance the field and improve well-being.

Social Workers organize marginalized communities and mobilized them to realize their rights. Social workers design and implement various campaigns in order to achieve the goals of social movements such as equality and human rights. For example, Idle No More  is a Social Movement that is fighting for the rights of the Indigenous communities in Canada.

Power

Power is the ability to influence or control others, as described by Max Weber. It is central to political systems and is often contested between organized masses and those in power. Social movements and civil resistance work to shift power by organizing and mobilizing people to challenge power holders. Social service workers play a crucial role in this process by helping to mobilize individuals and communities to bring about positive social change.

Social Movement

A social movement is a collective, organized sustained and non-institutional challenge to authorities, powerholders or cultural beliefs and practices (Goodwin & Jasper, 2015, p.4).

Various nonviolent tactics such as rally, protest, sit-in, petition, art, music etc. are utilized in social movements to educate, organize and mobilize communities for policy change, and fighting against oppression, stigma, and discrimination.

Hence, a revolutionary movement is a social movement that seeks, at a minimum, to overthrow the government or state, and perhaps to change the economy and key institutions of the entire society (Goodwin & Jasper, 2015, p.4).

Civil Resistance

Let us now define the term “Civil Resistance” and examine whether the purposes of the Social Movement and “Civil Resistance” are similar!

Civil resistance is a way for people to wield power without using violence.

Civil resistance is a powerful way for people to fight for their rights, freedom, and justice—without the use of violence. When people wage civil resistance, they use tactics such as strikes, boycotts, mass protests, and many other nonviolent actions to withdraw their cooperation from an oppressive system (ICNC, 2019).

What are the characteristics of Social Movement?

• Social Movement is a powerful way for common people to successfully create positive social change, especially when the formal means of democratic political participation is not working and obstinate powerful elites prevail (Moyer, 2001). The author suggests that social movements promote participatory democracy and it raises expectations that people should be involved in the decision making process in all aspects of public life.
• Moyer also opines that Social Movements need to be nonviolent and must be based on universal values such as justice, democracy, civil and human rights, security and freedom.
• A social movement can be initiated from the grassroots level and it can spread over the world. For example, Greta Thunberg , a teenage girl, started “School Strike for Climate” in Sweden which has become global social movement where 6 million people joined in 2019.

Source of this section: Mahbub, H. (2015, December 23). Social Movements, Civil Resistance & Human Rights.  Dr. Hasan Mahbub.

Video: How Idle No More sparked an uprising of Indigenous people
Next you will watch a short video on Social Movement and then be asked to reflect on it.

Duration: 1 minute 37 seconds.

Source: CBC News

Civil Resistance and Social Movements: Common Tactics 

Review the key points on Civil Resistance below and examine whether the purposes of the Social Movement and “Civil Resistance” are similar.

• Throughout history and in the present day, civil resistance movements have forced change to happen, even against powerful opponents who are willing to use violence. They disrupt business as usual, shift the behavior and loyalties of a system’s defenders, and cause bystanders to side with the movement. In the face of widespread nonviolent defiance—and the social, economic, and political pressure that it creates—an oppressive system becomes too costly to maintain and ultimately unsustainable (ICNC, 2019).
• According to Chenoweth and Stephan (2011), civil resistance usually understands as the form of mass protests in the streets, and nonviolent resistance is likely to take the form of stay-aways, sit-ins, occupations, economic boycotts. Civil resistance conducted particular country may be combined with other forms of nonviolent actions.
• According to Randle (1994), the goals of civil resistance can be reformist, such as the removal of particular injustice, or the amendment of a particular law.

Merriman (2018) suggests that civil resistance is a way for people—often ordinary individuals without special titles, status, or privilege—to wield power without using or threatening physical violence. It consists of:

a. acts of commission – in which people do things they’re not supposed to do, not expected to do, or forbidden from doing;

b. acts of omission – in which people don’t do things that they’re supposed to do, expected to do, or required to do; or

c. a combination of both acts of commission and omission.

Video: How students brought down the Bangladesh government (11.56)

After a month of violent unrest, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country. Andrew Chang explains how student-led protests over a government job quota turned into a massive and deadly movement that eventually toppled the government.

Source: CBC News

Examples of Tactics:

Merriman (2018) outlines acts of commission as communication methods like rallies, marches, and petitions, alongside intervention strategies such as civil disobedience, blockades, and occupations. These tactics are aimed at challenging authority and raising awareness for social and political change.

Merriman (2018) defines acts of omission as economic noncooperation, like boycotts and strikes, political noncooperation, such as election boycotts and resignations, and social noncooperation, which includes ostracism and suspension of social activities. These tactics aim to disrupt systems of power by withdrawing support without direct confrontation.

Merriman (2018) discusses combinations of both acts of commission and omission in the creation of alternative institutions. These include educational organizations like home schools, governing bodies such as neighborhood committees, economic entities like alternative industries, and dispute resolution systems outside of government structures. These alternatives aim to offer independent, self-sustaining frameworks for communities.

In summary, civil resistance is the organized, strategic use of unconventional, nonviolent methods of disruption and construction by ordinary people against perceived oppression (ICNC Regional Institute, Ecuador, 2019).

Civil resistance is synonymous with Social Movement which is usually organized by civil society to achieve a political objective. In nonviolent civil resistance, at least one party uses nonviolent action to resist oppression. But social movements may have socio-economic, political, environmental objectives and long-term goals.

Civil resistances are usually associated with in specific country (for example recent civil resistances in Hong Kong, Venezuela), but social movements could be local, national and global (for example School Strike for Climate, #Metoo, Occupy Wall Street).

Finally, social movements and civil resistance shift Power to people and bring change in the system.

References

1. Chenoweth, E., & Stephan, M, J. (2011). Why Civil Resistance Works. The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict. Columbia University Press.
2. Canadian Association of Social Workers. (2024). What is social work? Canadian Association of Social Workers. https://www.casw-acts.ca/en/what-social-work
3. Davenport, C. (Eds.). (2005). Repression and Mobilization. Minnesota University Press.
4. ICNC. (2019). Civil Resistance. Retrieved from https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/about/civil-resistance/
5. International Federation of Social Workers. (2014). Global definition of social work. International Federation of Social Workers. https://www.ifsw.org/what-is-social-work/global-definition-of-social-work/
6. Ives, N., Denov, M., & Sussman, T. (2020). Introduction to social work in Canada: Histories, contexts, and practices (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press.
7. Moyer, W. (2001). Doing Democracy. The MAP Model for Organizing Social Movements. New Society.
8. Holmes, Robert L., & Barry L. G, (Eds.). (2005). Nonviolence in Theory and Practice, 2nd Edition. Waveland Press.
9. Mahbub, H. (2015, December 23). Social Movements, Civil Resistance & Human Rights . Dr. Hasan Mahbub. https://drmahbubhasan.com/2015/12/23/social-movements-civil-resistance-human-rights/
10. Merriman, H. (2018, May 21). A movement-centered support model: Considerations for human rights funders and organizations, Part II. International Center on Nonviolent Conflict. https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/blog_post/part-2-movement-centered-support-model-considerations-funders-organizations/
11. Randle, M. (1994). Civil Resistance. London: Fontana Press.