Description
• Persuasion is inherently practical; we can study it most profitably by examining the functions of persuasive acts.
• Even apparently irrational acts make sense to the actor—effective analysis discovers the reasoning behind the acts.
• People create and comprehend their world through symbols, and it is people who create, use, ignore, or act on these symbolic creations.
• Although they remain important in social movement persuasion, speeches are now one of many resources for organizing and carrying out a variety of protests.
• New technologies have transformed how social movements come into existence, constitute organizations, establish coalitions, pressure institutions, and communicate with a wide variety of audiences.
• Social movements sometimes sell conspiracy theories to skeptical audiences, justify inherently divisive tactics, and use violence as a rhetorical strategy.
• Institutions and countermovements have a variety of strategies for resistance.
An Organized Collectivity / An Uninstitutionalized Collectivity / Large in Scope / Promotes or Opposes Changes in Societal Norms and Values / Encounters Opposition in a Moral Struggle / Persuasion Is Pervasive / Conclusions
2. Social Movements as Interpretive Systems
Theorizing about Communication / Communication Processes, Networks, and Systems / The Interpretive Systems Model / Studying Social Movements as Interpretive Systems: “The Question” / Conclusions
3. The Persuasive Functions of Social Movements
Transforming Perceptions of Social Reality / Altering Self-Perceptions of Protestors / Legitimizing the Social Movement / Prescribing Courses of Action / Mobilizing for Action / Sustaining the Social Movement / Conclusions
4. The Stages of Social Movements
Stage 1: Genesis / Stage 2: Social Unrest / Stage 3: Enthusiastic Mobilization / Stage 4: Maintenance / Stage 5: Termination / Conclusions
5. Leadership of Social Movements
Public Perceptions of Leadership in Social Movements / The Nature of Leadership in Social Movements / How Leadership Is Attained in Social Movements / How Leadership Is Maintained in Social Movements / Conclusions
6. Languaging Strategies and Tactics of Social Movements
Communication, Society, and Social Order / Languaging Strategies of Social Movements / Languaging Tactics of Social Movements / Conclusions
7. Constituting Social Movement Organizations
Peoples, Organizations, and Communication / Four Social Movement Organizations for Analysis / Analyzing the Rhetorical Construction of SMOs / Conclusions
8. Political Argument in Social Movements
The Nature of Argument / The Types of Political Argument / Conclusions
9. Argument from Narrative Vision in Social Movements
Theories of Narrative and Rhetorical Visions / The “New Right” of the Late 1970s / The Militia Movement of the 1990s / Conclusions
10. Transcending the Opposition
Argument from Transcendence / The Abortion Conflict as a Case Study / The Clash over Personhood / The Clash over Rights / The Clash over Realities / The Clash over Competing Social Movements / Conclusions
11. Selling Conspiracy Theories to Skeptical Audiences
Sowing Distrust / Challenging Plausibility / Telling a Better Story / Conclusions
12. Justifying Divisive Tactics
Social Movement Opposition to Violence / Addressing Situational Demands / Responding to Moral Obligations / Turning to Violence / Defending Selves and Others / Conclusions
13. The Cocreation of Terrorist Pressure: Strategic Violence, Blockbuster News, and Presidential Framing
Kinds of Violence / Understanding the Terrorist’s Perspective / Cocreating the Terrorist’s Pressure / The Terrorist Act / The Role of Persuasion in Countering Terrorism / Case Study: Al Qaeda and the 9/11 Attacks / Conclusions
14. Resisting Social Movements
The Conferring of Powers on Institutions / Democracy and Resistance to Social Movements / The Strategy of Evasion / The Strategy of Counter-Persuasion / The Strategy of Coercive Persuasion / The Strategy of Adjustment / Conclusions
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