Social Issues and Effective Social Movements

Reaction Paper 3
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
Course number and course name
Instructor’s name
Date
Reaction Paper 3
Q1. What is your overall impression of the slideshow? What are the first three words that come to mind in describing it? If you could write one sentence about the slideshow in its entirety, what would you write?
Overall, the slideshow is informative, with convincing images of artistic value. The presentation is ubiquitous, with concise information focused on key social topics or issues. After viewing the slideshow, my first three words are accuracy, informative, and illustrative. In its entirety, the slideshow conveys an expression of people’s dissatisfaction whereby community members expect something to be done about a major issue.
Q2. What do you think is a more effective social movement tactic: disruptive civil disobedience or peaceful protest (and why)?
A more effective social movement technique is a peaceful protest. In history, courageous and inspiring leaders like Martin Luther have engaged in peaceful demonstrations at risk of the outcomes for a major cause. The tactic remains efficient in raising the existing injustices within society and helping to mobile masses to speak up with a collective voice. Non-violent movements are necessary when avenues like dialogues or legal measures have been utilized to no productive result. During demonstrations, safety is paramount, and while volunteer takes calculated risks to opinions, thoughts, suggestions, or views across, the safety of bystanders remain uncompromised. The civil rights movement led in the 1960s held an overall ethos of peace, although it was catalyzed by violence, oppression, and inequality. Peace stood as a strategic approach in the social protest to emphasize the impact of violence endured by specific community groups. Thus, protestors embarking on peaceful approaches are at the advantage of avoiding questions of who initiated violence and how it is justified.
Furthermore, extreme protest can reduce popular support, and in the event of using other approaches like civil disobedience, the move can be interpreted as deviant and violent. In that way, participants are not engaging in actions that can be deemed violent; there is no fighting back against a resistance force, and people refrain from destroying private properties. In that kind of protest, a social movement appeals to the majority, and individuals feel comfortable supporting common decisions, assertions, or claims. In states holding democracy as the main political rule, embarking on disruptive civil disobedience is not justified morally as it would be perceived to pose threats to the rule of law. Besides, the individual outcomes of using civil disobedience can be costly, including arrest, violence in the street, destruction of properties, and humiliation accompanying confinement. There could be criminal prosecutions, stigmatization, and economic sanctions on convicted protestors in worse cases. As ...